Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company, is suing Pattie Gonia, the drag queen and environmentalist, for trademark infringement—a move the company says is necessary to “protect the brand [it has] spent the last 50 years building.”
In a lawsuit filed in California federal court this week,
Patagonia argues that Pattie Gonia’s name, particularly when used on apparel or in support of environmental sustainability, competes “directly” with the products and advocacy work that are core to Patagonia.
Patagonia claims in its complaint that the overlapping names have already confused customers, and that a recent move from the drag queen to sell
her his own branded apparel goes against a prior agreement the two parties had. The company is seeking a “nominal” $1 in damages.
