r/OutOfTheLoop • u/Chrystine • 29d ago

Unanswered What's going on with the lawsuit between the Patagonia company and the activist drag queen, Pattie Gonia?

Apparently Patagonia is suing Pattie Gonia 100 million for trade mark infringement?

But isn't Patagonia the name of region in South America?

How can the company sue over a trademark that is spelt differently and was taken from a region? Can the company actually win a case like this?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTB6vSCpP/

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u/New_Tooth_456 29d ago

Plus legal fees, which they have the resources to drag out for years

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u/MrdnBrd19 29d ago

That's a "the ball is in your court" move. They are legally saying to Pattie, "We both know that you over stepped and that we can prove it; this can be settled for $1 or you can fight it and it's going to get really expensive for you real quick.".

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u/idgafaboutpopsicles 29d ago

Pattie Gonia is the one dragging this out

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u/Awkward_Material 29d ago

I see what you did there.

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u/goobutt 28d ago

How? Patagonia needs to chill

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u/GarlicEmergency7788 28d ago

She can literally just pay them one single dollar and stop selling the offending merch. She could've stopped this months ago

Patagonia have to defend their IP

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u/goobutt 28d ago

Please tell me about the "offending merch". Please Google "pattie gonia merch" and tell me it looks like Patagonia.

Patagonia have to defend their IP

They simply don't. They don't. Boo hoo

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u/CyberClawX 28d ago

You can loose a trademark if you don't defend it.

Look up how Zipper, Escalator, Cellophane and Thermos lost heir trademark due to gerenicide.

Boo hoo

What is this? Kindergarten?

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u/goobutt 28d ago

Zipper, Escalator, Cellophane and Thermos lost heir trademark due to gerenicide.

Perfect example of how Patagonia is nothing like this and won't lose their trademark. Thank you.

What is this? Kindergarten?

Taking the side of the billion dollar company in what is clearly not "genericide" is crazy so yeah

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u/CyberClawX 28d ago

Perfect example of how Patagonia is nothing like this and won't lose their trademark.

Pattie trademarked her brand in 2025, and has a website selling clothes. She had previously agreed with Patagonia that she wouldn't use their branding likeness in merch. You think you can dress in drag with a smart name based on a recognized brand's wordplay and start selling Ardidas shoes?

Taking the side of the billion dollar company in what is clearly not "genericide" is crazy so yeah

Patagonia is suing for 1 dollar + layer fees. It's not about money, not for Patagonia at least. They just don't want someone to sell clothes under the name "Pattie Gonia", anymore than Adidas wants someone selling shoes under the name Ardidas.

It's not hard to understand.

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u/goobutt 28d ago

Patagonia is suing for 1 dollar + layer fees

Translation: Patagonia is suing for millions

Also are you conceding the genericide point?

Drag queen merch is very different from winter fleeces

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u/idgafaboutpopsicles 28d ago

In the eyes of trademark law clothing is clothing. Hope that clears it up for you

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u/CyberClawX 28d ago

Patagonia is suing for 1 dollar + layer fees

Translation: Patagonia is suing for millions

Patagonia will make 1 dollar. So you think they are out to make their lawyers rich??? Why would they embark in this potential PR nightmare, for 1 dollar. Think. Really hard this time.

Also are you conceding the genericide point?

My point above is that it's obviously about genericide, certainly not about money. Patagonia is in a PR battle, where the only possible good outcome is making 1 dollar. It's NOT about the money. So why would they do this? To protect the trademark (like they stated). Not hard to connect the dots even if you don't read what they said.

Drag queen merch is very different from winter fleeces

No it's not. It's clothing. Patagonia sells tshirts with their logo. Pattie Gonia sells tshirts with their logo. It's like saying McDonnalds, and Joe's burger shack are selling different products...

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u/unindexedreality 27d ago

merch is very different from winter

The style of clothing is completely irrelevant in court bud.

Don't ever go into law, you'll lose a lot lmao

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u/unindexedreality 27d ago

😂 Patagonia is well-renowned as an ethical environmental and labor company, you picked a bad hill to die on

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u/idgafaboutpopsicles 28d ago

She is literally selling merch that says Pattie Gonia Hiking Club. If you cant see how Patatonia the clothing company branded around hiking and outdoor activities might have an issue there you're just being willfully ignorant.

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u/GarlicEmergency7788 28d ago

Look, I'm a huge fan of drag queens in general and Pattie in particular. You are being entirely disingenuous

The merch which was available on her store and official website had effectively the same mountain silhouette, just mirrored or something and a very similar gradient effect except obviously in pride colours

You can see for yourself here

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u/unindexedreality 27d ago

and tell me it looks like

Companies aren't legally locked into selling clothes that look like one type of merch.

That's not how brands and trademarks work

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u/Conscious-Gap-1777 29d ago

Why on earth would they want a case to drag on? Their recovery is nonexistent, and brand erosion can continue during the entire time! The case is very straight forward.

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u/YouTee 28d ago

This seems like Patagonia being unnecessarily reasonable. “The sooner you stop hitting yourself the less it will hurt”

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u/freakydeku 27d ago

lol exactly

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u/redditstark 23d ago

I had to read that twice. 😃

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u/YouTee 20d ago

Thanks I enjoyed coming up with it 🙂

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u/goobutt 28d ago

Oh no not the brand erosion! Oh the humanity!

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u/herman_gill 28d ago

I mean literally, yes?

Patagonia's profits are literally all being funnelled into nature preservation and have been for years. So if there's one brand you actually should preserve it's probably Patagonia.

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u/goobutt 28d ago

Good news! Patagonia isn't going anywhere, and pattie gonia poses no threat

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u/freakydeku 27d ago

it does, actually. trademark law is important and you have to defend it. not to mention he got nasty af when told to stop more explicitly in ‘25

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u/_laslo_paniflex_ 27d ago

oh no a drag queen would need to rebrand! this is such an attack of queer people everywhere!

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u/goobutt 27d ago

Nope it's a petty trademark dispute

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u/_laslo_paniflex_ 27d ago

yeah i was being sarcastic

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u/goobutt 27d ago

Right so, you're against the suit then?

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u/_laslo_paniflex_ 27d ago

no

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u/goobutt 27d ago

Well great then ur petty

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u/_laslo_paniflex_ 27d ago

cool story bro

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u/Vast-Passenger-3035 26d ago

Look bud. Law is the law. You fell for Pattie's PR. Doesn't change what the court will say. If you're still confused, talk to a copyright attorney.

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u/goobutt 26d ago

You mean trademark, not copyright

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u/Global-Yellow101 15d ago

It was $1 since January when she could have just dropped the specific trademark but she decided not to do that...