Patagonia, an outdoor apparel company known for its progressive politics, called on a drag queen influencer to stop allegedly using its logo amid a legal battle that started in January.
The lawsuit centers on the alleged misconduct of “Pattie Gonia,” real name Wyn Wiley, according to court documents filed Jan. 21. The nickname is a play on the company’s name. Patagonia offered terms to the influencer in a post June 1, telling the influencer in part to stop allegedly employing their logos. In 2025, Wiley filed a trademark application for the sole rights to employ her brand for sales, advocacy and online marketing, according to TIME. Patagonia is known for its focus on environmentalism, and Wiley calls himself a climate activist on Instagram.
The two sides held discussions alongside a third party that was considering working with Wiley in February 2022, and the influencer agreed not to sell Pattie Gonia items or designs that mirrored Patagonia products too much, according to the lawsuit. He then began selling branded merchandise and using designs that were too similar to Patagonia’s in late 2024 while employing variants of their logo, the company alleged in a Jan. 21 statement.
The conflict escalated in September 2025 when Entrepreneur Enterprises, the company behind Pattie Gonia, filed trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the “Pattie Gonia” name and brand, according to the lawsuit. Patagonia responded by filing their lawsuit Jan. 21 in California alleging trademark infringement, dilution and unfair competition. (RELATED: Patagonia Sues Climate Activist ‘Drag Queen’)
The company is seeking only $1 in damages plus legal fees but wants a court order preventing further alleged trademark use and blocking Wiley’s efforts to secure federal trademark protection for the “Pattie Gonia” name, according to the court documents. Patagonia also issued a statement to its website on May 27 defending its responsibility to protect its brand.
Wiley alleged that the company was attempting to get over a $1 million in legal fees in a statement posted May 27 to Instagram. “This is a betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission,” the influencer said. “Because if they’re ‘in business to save the home planet,’ why are they suing a climate activist?”
Wylie called for Patagonia to drop its lawsuit and claimed the Pattie Gonia merchandise was not designed to rip off the Patagonia brand.
Wiley also alleged, “There was no agreement. In 2022, when I was collaborating with a third party, Patagonia asked me to follow certain terms, and I did. That wasn’t a broad agreement about my future.”
There were several emails between Patagonia team members and Wylie regarding what was and wasn’t appropriate for him to use, according to the court documents. One email allegedly laid out that Wiley was asked to, “Not use Pattie Gonia in any form on product.”
Patagonia noted the public attention to the legal battle in their June 1 post and listed the terms they wanted met. “As we have said to Pattie Gonia, we can do that if they: Withdraw all trademark applications, Stop using our logos, Stop selling and promoting apparel and other products as Pattie Gonia,” the company wrote.
Patagonia said they “want[ed] to acknowledge any hurt this has caused, especially in the LGBTQ+ community” while reiterating their desire to resolve the dispute.
Wiley alleged that Patagonia was “trying to erase my advocacy” and refused to agree to a “deal” in a reply June 1.
Nancy J. Mertzel, a trademark lawyer with no connection to the dispute, spoke to The New York Times. “Even though Patagonia is a very public benefit-minded corporation, they need to protect their assets,” she said. “I think there’s a lot at stake, certainly for Pattie.”
Patagonia has pushed environmental causes for years, including launching a documentary called “This is Not a Drill” in April. The firm also backed then-Democratic Nevada candidate for U.S. Senate Jacky Rosen and then-Democratic Montana Sen. Jon Tester in the 2018 election. Wiley started the drag queen persona in 2018 and claims to be responsible for raising $3.7 million on behalf of environmentalism, Forbes reported.
The Daily Caller reached out to Wiley and Patagonia for comment.