Drag queen Pattie Gonia says Patagonia has launched trademark suit. Here's what we know
Pattie Gonia has urged outdoor apparel company Patagonia to drop its lawsuit. (Getty Images: Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post)
A drag queen vs an outdoor clothing brand: welcome to the latest trademark fight making headlines.
US drag queen Pattie Gonia has urged outdoor apparel company Patagonia to drop a lawsuit that claims she is "irreparably harming" the brand's "goodwill" with her stage name's likeness.
Pattie Gonia, a climate activist, argues the suit is an attempt by a major company to "erase an activist".
We break down everything you need to know.
Quickly, explain how we got here
Patagonia is an an outdoor apparel company based in California.
It calls itself a sustainable brand that has contributed "more than $US240 million to environmental organisations".
It also gets its name from the geographical location in South America, which includes the Andes mountain range.
A sunset over the Andes mountains in Patagonia, Argentina. (Reuters: Carlos Barria)
Pattie Gonia is an Oregon-based drag queen (real name Wyn Wiley) who has extended her drag into environmental activism.
She became the first person to deliver a TED talk in full drag last year, and is also a 2023 TIME magazine Next Gen Leader.
The pair's conflict publicly began in January when the brand launched a trademark infringement lawsuit against Pattie Gonia.
It followed a trademark application by the drag queen.
The lawsuit claimed Pattie Gonia was compromising the brand's trademark by creating "a nearly-identical copy" of its logo.
"Patagonia has been and will continue to be irreparably harmed," the suit alleged.
"No amount of money damages can adequately compensate Patagonia if it loses the ability to control its marks."
Now, for the first time, the drag queen has addressed the suit.
What does Pattie Gonia say?
The drag queen said the lawsuit went against the brand's core mission of being "in the business to save our home planet".
In an open letter to Patagonia's leadership, she said she had raised $US3.7 million for environmental causes.
Pattie Gonia also alleged the suit would take away her name and deluge her with legal fees.
Examples of logos used in the trademark lawsuit against Pattie Gonia. (Supplied)
"This is not a brand conflict," she said on Instagram.
"This is a corporation trying to erase an activist.
"This would take away not only my activism and my career, but also the livelihoods of the team I employ."
A video addressed the claims of logo copying, something she said was "cherrypicked" examples of parody and fan art.
"Drag is built of parody, puns and jokes, but I'm willing to never parody their logo ever again."
She also questioned the timing of the lawsuit, alleging it was filed when there would be limited political pushback.
"If Patagonia wants to celebrate Pride month this year by taking a queer climate activist to court, than I am here to fight for myself."
How has Patagonia responded?
Patagonia said it had tried to "find a path forward" for several years, with the intent of avoiding "ending up in court".
But it had a "responsibility" to protect the brand, a statement read.
It also argued the lawsuit was not about financial gain or "challenging anyone's identity or right to advocacy, protest, or creative expression".
Claims of alternative negotiations were "wholeheartedly" denounced by the drag queen.
Patagonia says the lawsuit is "necessary to protect the brand" that was formed in 1973. (Getty Images: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)
A statement by the brand in January said negotiations had collapsed when Pattie Gonia started selling "Pattie Gonia" branded apparel online, using versions of the brand's logo, in 2024.
It said the queen had filed a trademark application that sought exclusive rights to "Pattie Gonia" for clothing, activism and marketing.
"Pattie Gonia's use of a near-copy of our name commercially — including as a brand for environmental advocacy — and her trademark application seeking to obtain the exclusive right to use that name going forward, pose long-term threats to Patagonia's brand and our activism," the company said.
How have people reacted?
On social media, the brand has already faced an influx of the drag queen's supporters, who are urging the brand to drop the lawsuit.
Comedian Margaret Cho chimed in on Instagram: "DROP THE LAWSUIT your tinned fish is mid."
Margaret Cho was a quick supporter of Pattie Gonia. (Reuters: Allison Dinner)
So did RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Latrice Royale, calling in all caps to "drop the lawsuit".
Others have also questioned the timing of the news, given that Pride Month is days away.
"Doing this a week before Pride is wild work. #dropthesuit," Broadway actor Andrew Keenan-Bolger said.
Has this happened before?
Drag queens have a storied history of using puns for their stage names.
That history has not been without controversy though.
In 1998, Pauline Hanson successfully sought an injunction to stop the ABC from playing a song parodying her, by drag satirist Pauline Pantsdown (AKA Simon Hunt).
Last year, Drag Race finalist Lexi Love was forced to stop using her stage name after a trademark dispute with a former adult performer and current AI artist.
Love (real name Clair Barnes) said she lost several gigs, and platforms such as Cameo removed her content as a result.
Pattie Gonia cited this as the cause for her trademark application filing.
Other Drag Race alum Jan Sport (now Jan) has also rebranded following trademark concerns.