Seems a bit extreme:
Patagonia has launched a trademark lawsuit against an environmentalist drag queen named Pattie Gonia, who has accused the outdoor clothing company of “trying to erase an activist”.
Wyn Wiley, who performs as Pattie Gonia, has accumulated millions of followers online for their environmental activism, raising almost $4m for non-profits so far. Last year they raised $1m while hiking 100 miles in full drag from Point Reyes national seashore to San Francisco.
Patagonia, which takes its name from an enormous geographical region spanning Argentina and Chile, filed its trademark infringement lawsuit against Wiley on 21 January. The suit was filed to the federal court in Los Angeles.
I mean, really?
Ah:
The company, which is suing Wiley for a “nominal” $1 in damages plus legal fees, said that it took action after Wiley filed a trademark application in September to use the brand Pattie Gonia to sell clothing and promote environmental activism, which it claims would “irreparably harm” its brand.
Ah, no, that makes perfect sense. You do actually have to defend a trademark. Otherwise it fails. Pattie Gonia condoms, grape jelly or vacuum cleaners wouldn’t be a problem. But outdoor clothes, obviously, sue!
Britain used to have a lawyer writing to the newspapers. “Dear sir, I note you used then word bic, it is in fact, Bic, the trademark of…..yours etc, A Lawyer” on exactly the same basis. A trademark must be protected…..
Are the clothes actually made in Patagonia ?
I wondered that myself, Otto!!!
Pattie Gonia condoms, grape jelly or vacuum cleaners
Pattie Gonia Hoovers?
Pattie Gonia Rears
Well I’m sure they suck (fnar fnar).
Needs to start a double act with Karrie Moore.
Gods…. Should come with an Eye Bleach warning….
But yeah… Gotta defend Trademarks. And for american norms $1 + lawyer fees is really just Being Fair about it, and ….extremely non-agressive…
Of course Drag Queen has to be Drama Queen….
The public relations office of the Sony Corporation was noted for reponding to all inquiries as to whether the plural of walkman was “walkmans” or “walkmen” with a polite, but firm insistence that it was “Walkman(tm) personal stereos”.
Been travelling in the UK for a week…
WTF is drag queen bingo about…?
If you’re unlucky you win one.
This is speculation but I guess it would be the caller being a drag queen (or in this case queens) and they probably do stuff in between calling each number.
Bingo is not really all that interesting unless you’re an inveterate gambler; it’s about as exciting as pulling the lever of a slot machine.
Which apparently is exciting for a lot of people
Can you really trademark a place name? At least without owning it?
“Buckingham Palace” and “University of Cambridge” are trademarked.
Didn’t there use to be things called “Oxford Brogues”? “Edinburgh Rock”: trademarked? Neither are according to Google’s AI.
I might change my name to Morris Oxford.
There’s that ex rugger player Austen Healey. I wonder if he ever gets sent writs.
Ford might have taken a crack at Douglas Adams but it would have had to have reminded everyone of their shit car with a shit name.
Douglas Adams wasn’t using the name for a car and Henry Ford wasn’t trying to sell aliens …
I don’t suppose Austen Healey actually got any writs. Some of us are easily amused.
PJF, there is at least one up and running. Seen at a classic car outing in Mildura, Australia of all places. In beautiful condition I must say. My wife wondered why I was stopping to take a photo of it, but worked it out when I pointed at the badge. .
Old cars seem to do well in the Antipodes, something to do with not chucking loads of salt about I think.
Lack of salt probably helps PJF, yes. It’s more or less a desert climate here.
My dad had a 1956 MGA that I used to drive around a lot. Looked beautiful, otherwise a piece of shit. I learned a few things from that car. How to heel and toe, double de-clutch, park facing downhill (front wheels turned into the curb, of course, you think I was going to trust the handbrake) to make it easier to get your mates to help you with a push start in the morning…
There’s a story about rivalry inside Ford. Ford US and Germany were going to produce a car with the code name “Cardinal”
So Ford UK rushed out a prototype they were working on, which they decided to call “Archbishop”
When asked by whichever Ford grandson was in charge why they had chosen such a strange name, the UK guys pointed at the Cardinal.
“It’s a species of bird you idiots.”
Gosh, we didn’t expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition.
My real name’s Dirk Thrust.
Off-topic, arguably. Just thought I’d mention it.
Just checking to see if ‘r’ and ‘c’ are near each other on the keyboard.
Depends what I am using to type with …
Yeah but Buckingham Palace and University of Cambridge have owners.
I think you can for a specific product. I.e., Patagonia clothing. Which gives them no right over drag queen name. Nike calling a shirt a patagonia shirt would be a problem.*
No reason why you couldn’t have Ford tooth paste.
*I mention Nike because I have a friend who has a 6-figure judgement against Nike for trademark infringement.
Yes, if no-one objects.
M’kay. But it’s not a hundred miles from Point Reyes to San Francisco.
It is if you are stoned and keep retracing your steps.
. . . in high heels.
Agreement between VAX Cleaning Appliances and VAX Computer Corporation: VAX shall refrain from making computer equipment, and VAX shall refrain from making cleaning equipment.
Do either of them make a robot vacuum cleaner? What would happen if one tried?
Sounds like a character in “Viz” magazine – I saw the name and immediately thought of Buster Gonad…
Oh. Finally read down to this part:
Fuck no, you can have clothing named ‘Pattie Gonia.’
“Pattie Gonorrhea” probably still available.