Patagonia vs Pattie Gonia: Is There Confusion Taking Place in the Outdoor Space?

[1]

On January 21, 2026, outdoor apparel company Patagonia filed a lawsuit against Pattie Gonia for violating an alleged agreement the two parties had over name and logo use.[2] The lawsuit stems from Pattie Gonia selling apparel with her name on it along with a logo resembling that of Patagonia’s.[3] This was followed by Pattie Gonia filing a trademark application to use her name to sell the apparel and environmental sustainability advocacy.[4] Pattie Gonia is seeking trademark protection over these products and other services that compete with Patagonia’s, including apparel with the phrase “Pattie Gonia Hiking Club.”[5] 

So, who is Pattie Gonia?

She is most popularly known for being a drag queen, an environmental advocate, and influencer with over 1.5 million followers on Instagram.[6] Offstage, Pattie Gonia is known as Wynn Wiley, with a diverse range of appearances spanning from TED talks to music videos.[7] She first coined the name “Pattie Gonia” in 2018 but flew under Patagonia’s radar until 2022.[8]

Patagonia alleges that Pattie Gonia violated a prior agreement stipulating that Pattie could not use her stage name on any product that would imitate Patagonia’s branding.[9] However, Pattie Gonia’s team says that Patagonia’s understanding of the agreement is wrong and claims that all merchandise featuring similar logos to Patagonia’s were created by her fans and were never sold by Pattie Gonia.[10]

What is Trademark Law?

Under the Lanham Act, trademark owners are allowed to protect their marks if they believe its use is causing confusion for the consumer, however trademark owners are responsible for protecting their marks or they will lose their entitlement to its protection. [11] This case will dive into a fairly new area of trademark law dealing with content creators and wordplay.[12] To decide, courts will look at consumer confusion and similarity of marks in appearances/meaning and the service and goods those marks offer.[13]

Patagonia can also use the Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006, which does not rely on consumer confusion to enforce protection, only that the similar mark harms the distinctiveness of the trademark with its association to different services.[14] Under this Act, courts look to the level of exclusivity the owners of the mark have over it, any association between the marks, and whether the similar mark was intended to create an association between the marks.[15]

Patagonia claims Pattie Gonia’s trademark application shows that she intends to launch a commercial enterprise focused on promoting environmental sustainability, outdoor apparel, and advocating for LQBTQ+ equality. [16] This intent, Patagonia argues, competes directly with its almost identical advocacy work and products, consumer confusion in the market.[17]

To support its argument about the possibility of consumer confusion over Patagonia’s role in supporting or partnering with Pattie Gonia, Patagonia has provided comments from customers expressing their uncertainty in separating the two parties’ affiliations.[18]

What Outcome Does Patagonia Hope For?

Patagonia supports creative expression surrounding their brand and does not wish to harm Pattie Gonia’s career from this lawsuit.[19] However, they do want to make sure they are enforcing their trademark protections, to ensure the company does not lose the protection by allowing others to infringe on the trademark.[20] To reconcile their competing objectives, Patagonia filed a one-dollar lawsuit against Pattie Gonia with the sole intent of protecting their trademark.[21] The outdoor apparel powerhouse seeks to halt the dilution of it brand’s distinctiveness and the singular association that gives Patagonia’s its fame.[22]

References

[1] Photo by Patrick Hendry, Ready For The Hike, Unsplash (Apr. 30, 2017), https://unsplash.com/photos/man-looking-above-carrying-gray-camping-backpack-PQa5vHHnpm4.

[2] See Fredrick Dreier, Patagonia Just Filed a Lawsuit Against, Uh, Pattie Gonia, Outside, (Jan. 23, 2026), https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/patagonia-sues-pattie-gonia/-.

[3] See id.

[4] See id.

[5] See Blake Brittain, Patagonia Sues Drag Queen Pattie Gonia for Trademark Infringement, Reuters, (Jan. 21, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/patagonia-sues-drag-queen-pattie-gonia-trademark-infringement-2026-01-21/-.

[6] See Minda Zeltin, What’s the Real Reason Patagonia is Suing a Drag Queen Named Pattie Gonia?, Inc., (Jan. 27, 2026), https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/whats-the-real-reason-patagonia-is-suing-a-drag-queen-named-pattie-gonia/91292265-.

[7] See id.

[8] See id.

[9] See Brittain, supra note 5.

[10] See Tony Biasotti, Patagonia Sues Drag Queen Climate Activist Pattie Gonia Over Trademark, Desert Sun, (Jan. 22, 2026), https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/california/2026/01/22/patagonia-sues-pattie-gonia-trademark-california/88307449007/ .

[11] See Burt Skiba, Patagonia’s Trademark Lawsuit Against Pattie Gonia, Accelerated IP (Jan. 27, 2026), https://accelerateip.com/patagonias-trademark-lawsuit-against-pattie-gonia/#:~:text=Direct%20evidence%20that%20consumers%20have,documented%20instances%20of%20actual%20confusion-.

[12] See id.

[13] See id.

[14] See id.

[15] See id.

[16] See id.

[17] See id.

[18] See Peter Madsen, Pattie Gonia Sued by Patagonia for Trademark Infringement, The SOURCE, (Jan. 23, 2026), https://www.bendsource.com/news/localnews/pattie-gonia-sued-by-patagonia-for-trademark-infringement/#:~:text=ironic%20stage%20moniker.-,In%20this%20instance%2C%20according%20to%20court%20documents%2C%20that%20inspiration%20came,Patagonia's%20logos%20and%20typeface.%20%3C/.

[19] See Andrew McLemore, Patagonia Sues Drag Queen Activist ’Pattie Gonia’ for Trademark Infringement, Gearjunkie, (Jan. 22, 2026), https://gearjunkie.com/outdoor/patagonia-sues-pattie-gonia-drag-queen.

[20] See id.

[21] See Jason Aten, Patagonia’s $1 Lawsuit Against an Activist Looks Petty. It’s Complicated, Inc., (Jan. 26, 2026), https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/patagonias-1-lawsuit-against-an-activist-looks-petty-its-complicated/91292314.

[22] See Aruni Soni, Patagonia Sues Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Over Activist Trademark, Bloomberg L., (Jan. 21, 2026), https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/patagonia-sues-drag-queen-pattie-gonia-over-activists-trademark.