Girl Scouts sues Boy Scouts over trademark as boys welcome girls

[webfact]

Girl Scouts sues Boy Scouts over trademark as boys welcome girls

By Jonathan Stempel

 

Girls from Cub Scout Den 13, a suburban Virginia Cub Scout unit made up of girls who are on their way to next year becoming the first female Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America as part of the the newly named "Scouts BSA" program, participate in a hike in this still image from video shot in McLean, Virginia, U.S. May 20, 2018. REUTERS/Greg Savoy

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Girl Scouts of the United States of America filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday, after the Boy Scouts decided to drop "Boy" from its namesake programme and start welcoming older girls.

 

The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court is an attempt by the Girl Scouts, founded in 1912, to avert an erosion of its brand and membership as the Boy Scouts, founded two years earlier, tries to reverse its own decades-long membership decline.

 

Six months ago the Boy Scouts, which accepts children 11 to 17 years old, said it would in February 2019 change its name to Scouts BSA and make girls eligible to earn its highest rank, Eagle Scout.

 

The organisation also launched a "Scout Me In" campaign, which features boys and girls.

 

Neither the Boy Scouts nor its general counsel responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and an injunction against trademark infringement.

 

The Boy Scouts, based in Irving, Texas, recently had about 2.28 million members, less than half its peak in the 1970s, while the Girl Scouts, based in Manhattan, said it has about 2 million.

 

In the complaint, the Girl Scouts said the Boy Scouts have no monopoly over such terms as "scouts" and "scouting" when it offers services to girls.

 

It said the name change threatens to "marginalise" Girl Scouts activities and has already sown confusion, with families, schools and communities nationwide being told the organisation no longer exists, or merged with the Boy Scouts.

 

"Only GSUSA has the right to use the Girl Scouts and Scouts trademarks with leadership development services for girls," and the Boy Scouts infringements are "new and uniquely damaging to GSUSA," the complaint said.

 

"We did what any brand, company, corporation, or organisation would do to protect its intellectual property, the value of its brand in the marketplace, and to defend its good name," the Girl Scouts said in a statement.

 

The Boy Scouts has said its rebranding was part of a single-name approach it adopted when it decided in October 2017 to let girls enrol in the Cub Scouts, for children 7 to 10 years old.

 

The case is Girl Scouts of the United States of America v Boy Scouts of America, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 18-10287.

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-07

[overherebc]

Will the girls woggles be known as wiggles.

I'm a frayed knot.

[DoctorG]

Based purely on the information above, GSUSA appear to not have any case. They do not own trademark SCOUTS, and BSA started 2 years before them so they cannot claim historical use either.

(just my uninformed opinion)

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America

Poor old Baden Powell. He she it  must be turning in his it's her their grave.

[car720]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

Poor old Baden Powell. He she it  must be turning in his it's her their grave.

I think if he were here today he would close the whole lot down and tell them to join the rainbow bridgade.

Political correctness gone berserk.

[bert bloggs]

I was in the boy scouts , i just thank The man in the sky that i was born in a time when people were ordinary ,normal human beings and ,you did not shout out to the rooftops your "preferences" but just got on quietly with your life .

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, car720 said:

I think if he were here today he would close the whole lot down and tell them to join the rainbow bridgade.

Political correctness gone berserk.

How exactly is this anything to do with pc?

 

The Boy Scouts numbers are falling, that’s why they are opening their organisation to girls. 

 

https://amp.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-allowing-girls-not-a-feminist-win-2018-5

[4evermaat]

Boy scouts for boys.

Girl scouts for girls.

Trans scouts for others.

 

What's wrong with having [private] clubs where gender is a requirement for admission?

[Krataiboy]

16 minutes ago, 4evermaat said:

Boy scouts for boys.

Girl scouts for girls.

Trans scouts for others.

 

What's wrong with having [private] clubs where gender is a requirement for admission?

Luckily, I don't like jam and don't know the words of the song "Jerusalem", so I won't be applying to join the Women's Institute.

[bluesofa]

7 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Luckily, I don't like jam and don't know the words of the song "Jerusalem", so I won't be applying to join the Women's Institute.

I thought you might have made an appearance on the calendar as Miss June (oh I do miss her terribly)

[guest879]

1 hour ago, 4evermaat said:

Boy scouts for boys.

Girl scouts for girls.

Trans scouts for others.

 

What's wrong with having [private] clubs where gender is a requirement for admission?

man hating feminists that's why. they want to dismantle the (imaginary) patriarchy no matter who suffers.

 

[TPI]

6 hours ago, overherebc said:

Will the girls woggles be known as wiggles.

I'm a frayed knot.

Very punny!

[BobBKK]

How pathetic America has become the Boy Scouts want girl members and **** the Girl Scouts. 

 

Let's have Trans Scouts, Gay Scouts and how about PC Scouts where you can have all of them? 

[NickJ]

I'm an Eagle Scout. My Dad was our Scout Master. Was also in the Indian Guides. The Cub Scouts and the Weblos. 

With all this pc crap going on. I think the time is right for a Independent Scout Militia to form in all areas where needed. Girls, Boys, fire and weapon training. 

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Based purely on the information above, GSUSA appear to not have any case. They do not own trademark SCOUTS, and BSA started 2 years before them so they cannot claim historical use either.

(just my uninformed opinion)

United States Army Indian Scouts predates both the Boys & Girls scout organizations and even British Robert Baden-Powell's Boys Scouts Association.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Indian_Scouts

Therefore, the term "Scouts" in the US attached to an association became a public domain prior to the BSA and GSA, and as such the term is not protected by intellectual property laws such as copyright, trademark, or patent laws.

https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/public-domain/welcome/

[overherebc]

Let's go 15 years down the road.

Boy Scout who is now 30 years old becomes a public figure or a celebrity.

How many ex-girl scouts will be jumping on the 'he molested me at summer camp so I'm suing for loads of cash' band wagon.

Just sayin.

[wabothai]

Feminists on war path.