Patagonia sues Pattie Gonia for $1 and legal fees
Patagonia sued pattie gonia, the drag persona of Wyn Wiley, on 21 January, filing a trademark infringement case in federal court in Los Angeles. The company is seeking $1 plus legal fees, while Wiley says the dispute is really about whether an activist can keep using a name built around parody and environmental work.
Los Angeles Federal Court
The filing says Wiley applied in September to use the Pattie Gonia brand to sell clothing and promote environmental activism. Patagonia said that application would irreparably harm its brand and said it had engaged with Pattie for several years before turning to court.
That makes the case bigger than a fee dispute. Patagonia is not asking for a large damages award; it is asking for a legal ruling that would stop a name it says is too close to its own, even as the performer behind it has built millions of followers online and raised almost $4 million for nonprofits.
Wyn Wiley Response
On Wednesday, Wiley responded publicly for the first time in a video on Instagram and shared a letter to Patagonia’s board asking the company to drop the action. Wiley said, “This is a betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission. Because if they’re ‘in business to save the home planet’, why are they suing a climate activist?”
Wiley also said, “Over the last four months since the lawsuit was filed, I have stayed silent and worked every channel I had to resolve this without going to court. But in the end, I had two choices. The erasure of my name, my advocacy, my community, and everyone I employ. Or fight for myself and fight for us.”
Parody Meets Trademark
Wiley acknowledged that merch had included playful parody of Patagonia, but denied ever using the company’s branding, logo, or font. Patagonia said its talks with Pattie included multiple proposals and ongoing dialogue, but that it could not reach an agreement.
Wiley’s own fundraising record gives the fight a sharper edge: last year, they raised $1 million while hiking 100 miles in full drag from Point Reyes National Seashore to San Francisco. If the case keeps moving, the practical pressure lands on a performer whose name, advocacy and merch all sit inside the same legal fight.
