Pattie Gonia urges Patagonia to drop trademark lawsuit over activist name

Pattie Gonia urged Patagonia to drop its trademark lawsuit, saying the case threatened to wipe out the name under which Wyn Wiley built a climate-focused drag persona with more than 3 million followers and $3.7 million raised for environmental causes.

Patagonia filed the case on Jan. 21, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. In Patagonia, Inc. v. Entrepreneur Enterprises dba Pattie Gonia Productions and Wyn Wiley, the company accused Wiley of trademark infringement, dilution and unfair competition, saying commercial use of the Pattie Gonia name and related merchandise created a likelihood of confusion with Patagonia’s marks.

The complaint said the dispute escalated after Pattie Gonia began selling branded apparel online in late 2024 and using versions of Patagonia’s logo. Patagonia also pointed to a trademark application Wiley filed in September 2025 for the name Pattie Gonia across clothing, environmental activism, marketing, endorsements, events, performances and recordings. The company said it had been in open dialogue with Wiley for more than three years and believed the sides had reached an understanding that would allow advocacy work to continue without infringing on its trademarks.

That legal claim sits at the center of a sharper reputational risk for Patagonia. The company, founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973 and based in Ventura, California, has built a global image around environmental stewardship and says it has contributed more than $240 million to environmental organizations. Pursuing a lawsuit against a high-profile queer activist whose public identity is tied to environmental messaging could complicate that brand, even as Patagonia argues that consistent enforcement is necessary to defend its marks against counterfeiters, hate groups and other bad actors.

Wiley, who is legally Wyn Wiley and is based in Oregon, denied infringement and called on supporters to pressure Patagonia to “drop the lawsuit.” In a direct rebuke, Wiley said, “This is not a brand conflict. This is a corporation trying to erase an activist.”

Wiley said the fight was never about blocking Patagonia’s trademark rights, but about preserving the name and platform that had grown around environmental advocacy and inclusion in the outdoors. Wiley said the lawsuit would threaten a team’s livelihoods and could force more than $1 million in legal fees. Wiley also said there had always been room for an agreement that protected Patagonia’s mark while allowing the activist to keep the Pattie Gonia identity.

The clash has drawn attention because both sides have staked their public identities on environmental values. Patagonia says it is protecting a brand built over more than 50 years. Pattie Gonia says the case would do the opposite of what Patagonia claims to stand for: it would weaken a climate message that has already reached millions.