Pattie Gonia says ‘no deal’ to Patagonia demand to stop selling merch in trademark dispute
Drag queen and activist Pattie Gonia (Image: Getty Images)
Drag performer and climate activist Pattie Gonia has publicly rejected Patagonia’s settlement terms in an ongoing trademark dispute, replying “No deal” after the outdoor brand demanded she stop selling and promoting products under her name.
Patagonia set out its position on Instagram, with Pattie Gonia also responding on social media, saying she had already agreed to two of the demands.
Patagonia’s post lists three conditions it says would resolve the dispute: Pattie Gonia must withdraw all trademark applications, stop using Patagonia’s logos, and stop selling and promoting apparel and other products as Pattie Gonia.
Pattie Gonia said she could accept the first two points, but not the third.
“Patagonia is not just talking about my upcycled T-shirt merch in that bullet point,” she wrote. “If I can’t do partnerships as Pattie Gonia, it breaks the whole ecosystem of advocacy and community engagement,” she added in her post.
What Patagonia is demanding
Patagonia filed a trademark lawsuit against Pattie Gonia in January 2026 and is seeking $1 in damages. In the lawsuit complaint, the company alleges Pattie Gonia’s use of a “near-copy” name commercially and a trademark application pose “long-term threats” to its brand.
The dispute drew renewed attention after Pattie Gonia posted about the case on 27 May, writing: “Patagonia told the media they’re only suing me for $1,” claiming: “What they’re actually trying to do is take away my name permanently and threaten me with more than $1million in legal fees.”
Patagonia also said it wanted to acknowledge hurt caused by the lawsuit, “especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” and said it still wanted to resolve the dispute in their demands statement.
Drag queens vs big brands
Drag queens creating their names based on well-known brands is nothing new, however it doesn’t usually turn into legal battles playing out on social media.
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jan Sport went by Jan during her time on the show. This was to avoid any trademark or copyright infringements with the backpack brand JanSport.
She returned to using her original name in 2024 though, and even launched a collaboration with the bag brand.
Similarly, Drag Race star Brita Filter just went by the name Brita on season 12 for the same reasons.
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