Circular Economy Coalition Calls on Patagonia to Champion Trademark Reform
AMCIRC Open Letter Asks Patagonia to Use Pattie Gonia Moment to Advocate for Modernizing IP Law
Washington, D.C. — American Circular Textiles (AMCIRC), the leading U.S. policy coalition and market development platform for the textile circular economy, today published an open letter to Patagonia calling on the outdoor apparel brand to use its platform to advocate for trademark law reform.
The letter, signed by AMCIRC CEO and Founder Rachel Kibbe, comes amid widespread public debate over Patagonia's trademark action against environmental drag activist Pattie Gonia. Rather than taking sides in the dispute, AMCIRC uses the moment to raise a broader and largely unaddressed question: does trademark law, as currently written, serve the realities of how businesses operate in 2026?
"The cost of enforcing or defending a trademark claim can be ruinous for an individual, small business, or independent creator," Kibbe writes. "We are not accusing Patagonia of bad faith. We are saying that the tool you were handed to protect your brand is an antiquated tool, and at odds with the operational realities of the modern economy."
The letter outlines a series of reform proposals developed with AMCIRC members, including:
Pre-litigation notice requirements before filing suit
Fine limits for good-faith actors; increased penalties for willful infringement
Safe harbors for legitimate resale, upcycling, and repair
Faster judicial intervention so neither party is drained of resources before a judge weighs in
AMCIRC also invites Patagonia to join its membership and engage directly with its Trademark and Counterfeit Subcommittee, which is developing policy recommendations on brand protection in the context of parody, artistic expression, and power asymmetry, alongside the growth of resale and repair markets.
"Your brand, your legal experience, and your platform would meaningfully contribute to this conversation. We hope you'll be in touch," Kibbe writes.
The full text of the open letter is available at americancirculartextiles.com
ABOUT AMERICAN CIRCULAR TEXTILES (AMCIRC)
American Circular Textiles (AMCIRC) is a U.S.-based coalition of leading companies working to advance circular textile policy, infrastructure, and market development. AMCIRC convenes stakeholders across retail, resale, recycling, repair, manufacturing, and technology to support the growth of domestic circular textile systems and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the evolving global textile economy.
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