Patagonia Sues Drag Performer Pattie Gonia for Alleged Trademark Infringement Over Merchandise and Branding

Patagonia, the Ventura, California-based outdoor apparel company founded in 1973, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against drag performer Pattie Gonia, whose legal name is Wyn Wiley, in the U. . District Court for the Central District of California on January 21, 2026. The case, titled Patagonia Inc. v. Pattie Gonia Productions and assigned number 2: 6-cv-00586, includes a 37-page complaint, civil cover sheet, and summons, classifying it as a trademark matter.

The dispute centers on Pattie Gonia's use of her stage name—a phonetic play on "Patagonia"—for commercial activities, including apparel sales that Patagonia claims resemble its branding, logo, and font. Patagonia alleges this creates consumer confusion, particularly since both engage in apparel sales and environmental advocacy, areas overlapping with Pattie Gonia's September 2025 trademark application for her name across clothing, marketing, endorsements, and online promotion.

Discussions between the parties spanned over three years, culminating in a February 2022 agreement where Pattie Gonia promised not to use her name "in any form"on products substantially similar to Patagonia's logos or fonts, prompted by her collaboration with Hydro Flask. Patagonia claims the agreement broke down by early 2025 when Pattie Gonia began selling merchandise on PattieGoniaMerch. om, including t-shirts branded "Pattie Gonia Hiking Club"with designs mimicking its style. As of January 23, 2026, items on the site were listed as sold out.

In a statement, Patagonia emphasized its support for Pattie Gonia's activism: "We’re not against art, creative expression, or commentary about our brand. We want Pattie to have a long and successful career and make progress on issues that matter – but in a way that respects Patagonia’s intellectual property and ability to use our brand to sell products and advocate for the environment. The company seeks $1 in nominal damages, attorneys'fees, and primarily an injunction to halt further use, arguing irreparable harm to its 50-year-old brand cannot be remedied by money alone. Patagonia, a certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet founding member, directs reinvested profits toward environmental protection and has pursued similar suits against "Fratagonia, "Catagonia, and "Petagonia.

Pattie Gonia, a prominent transgender drag performer, blends environmental activism with LGBTQ+ advocacy, leading hikes, fundraisers for conservation groups, and performances promoting planetary protection and queer rights. In a February 2025 email cited in court documents, Pattie Gonia's representatives stated they "never and will never reference the brand Patagonia’s logo or brand, attributing the persona's inspiration to the South American Patagonia region and distancing from Patagonia's subsidiary Lost Arrow , which sold military gear. GearJunkie and others report no immediate public response from Pattie Gonia as of January 23, 2026.

The lawsuit highlights tensions between corporate intellectual property protection and individual artistic expression in overlapping advocacy spaces, particularly resonant in LGBTQ+ communities where Pattie Gonia has built a following for fusing drag performance with environmentalism. Patagonia maintains it cannot selectively enforce trademarks based on alignment with viewpoints, underscoring the need to safeguard its ability to fund activism through sales. No hearing date has been set, and the case remains in early stages.