Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia, demands she drop trademark and stop selling clothes

Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company widely regarded as a socially conscious brand, is pressing ahead with a trademark lawsuit against drag queen Pattie Gonia, demanding she stop using its logo and selling products under her name.

In a statement issued Sunday, Patagonia said it wanted to update the public on "the many stories circulating" about the lawsuit it filed in January to protect its trademark, and laid out three conditions it is demanding Pattie Gonia meet.

The company said it "wished the lawsuit wasn't necessary" and expressed deep regret for "the hurt caused to the LGBTQ+ community," adding that it had no desire to "argue trademark law through social media."

Patagonia said it is "continuing to work toward a resolution" and that a settlement is possible once its conditions are met. Those conditions are: withdrawal of all trademark applications, an end to use of its logo, and a halt to the sale and promotion of clothing and other products under the Pattie Gonia name.

The dispute traces back to January, when Patagonia filed a lawsuit against Pattie Gonia — whose legal name is Wyn Wiley — after Wiley applied to register "Pattie Gonia" as a trademark covering clothing, marketing and events. Patagonia argued the move amounted to commercial activity rather than social activism.

Wiley had signed an agreement in 2022 restricting the sale of products bearing designs similar to Patagonia's logo or brand. Patagonia contends Wiley violated that agreement and filed the suit seeking $1 in damages.

Wiley rebuffed that characterization in a statement, saying that while Patagonia told the press the suit sought only $1, "in reality they are threatening to permanently erase my name and demanding over $1 million in legal costs." Wiley called the lawsuit "a corporate attempt to erase an activist."

"This is how corporations bully under-resourced individuals," Wiley said, adding that the legal pressure threatened not only their own career and activism but also the livelihoods of team members they employ.

Pattie Gonia, who has 1.7 million Instagram followers, has sent an open letter to Patagonia asking it to drop the suit.

However, some observers say a company's effort to defend its trademark is entirely reasonable.

Trademark attorney Josh Gerben told NBC that "when you start selling your own branded merchandise using the name Pattie Gonia, that crosses a line," adding that allowing unrestricted use of the name could cause the company to lose its rights to it.

Patagonia said that if the conditions are agreed upon, "all other matters can be worked out" and Pattie Gonia would be free to continue her work as a performance artist and activist. "Our shared goal of protecting the planet and building a more inclusive world is something we have in common with Pattie Gonia," the company added.

“이 양말 한켤레가 4만원, 말이 돼?” 비싸니 더 잘 팔리는 인기 비밀 [지구, 뭐래?]

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