US outdoor clothing company Patagonia has launched a trademark lawsuit against environmental activist and drag performer ‘Pattie Gonia’, accusing the social media personality of infringing on its brand.
Pattie Gonia, whose real name is Wyn Wiley, has built a large online following through climate advocacy and outdoor campaigns including hiking in full drag and platform shoes, raising almost $US4 million for environmental non-profits.
The dispute centres on Wiley’s trademark application, filed last September, to use the Pattie Gonia name for clothing and environmental activism projects.
Patagonia filed its lawsuit in a Los Angeles federal court on 21 January, seeking just $US1 in damages plus legal costs. The company argued that the use of the name could damage its long-established brand and said it had spent several years attempting to resolve the issue privately.
Patagonia stated that it supports Wiley’s environmental work but must protect the intellectual property it has built over the past 50 years.
Wiley has now publicly responded, accusing Patagonia of acting against its environmental values. In a video shared on Instagram, Wiley described the lawsuit as “a betrayal” of the company’s mission and said the legal action threatened not only their identity and advocacy, but also the wider community connected to the Pattie Gonia brand.