Girl Scouts sue Boy Scouts over program's name change

[PACOX]

NEW YORK -- The Girl Scouts of the United States of America filed a trademark infringement lawsuit on Monday against the Boy Scouts of America for dropping the word "boy" from its flagship program in an effort to attract girls. In the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the Girl Scouts claim the program "does not have a right under either federal or New York law to use terms like scouts or scouting by themselves in connection with services offered to girls, or to rebrand itself as 'the Scouts.'"

"Such misconduct will not only cause confusion among the public, damage the goodwill of GSUSA's Girl Scouts trademarks, and erode its core brand identity, but it will also marginalize the Girl Scouts Movement by causing the public to believe that GSUSA's extraordinarily successful services are not true or official 'Scouting' programs, but niche services with limited utility and appeal," the complaint said. The Girl Scouts is among a number of major youth organizations in the nation seeing declines in membership in recent years due to competition from sports leagues and busy family schedules.

The organization argued that only it has "the right to use the Girl Scouts and Scouts trademark with leadership development services for girls." In a statement to CBS News, the Girl Scouts said its actions were "in keeping with standard practice in any field, and we did what any brand, company, corporation, or organization would do."

The Boy Scouts said it was reviewing the lawsuit "carefully." In a statement, the organization said, "We applaud every organization that builds character and leadership in children, including the Girl Scouts of the USA, and believe that there is an opportunity for both organizations to serve girls and boys in our communities."

In May, the Boy Scouts — the program for 11- to 17-year-olds — announced it would change its name to Scouts BSA in February. The parent organization will remain the Boy Scouts of America, and the Cub Scouts — its program serving children from kindergarten through fifth grade — will keep its title, as well.

The organization already has started admitting girls into the Cub Scouts, and Scouts BSA begins accepting girls next year. The Girl Scouts claim it has already been damaged by the name change announcement, saying that "throughout the country, families, schools and communities have been told that GSUSA and BSA have merged, or even that GSUSA no longer exists."

"Parents interested in signing up for Girl Scouts programs have instead mistakenly signed up for the new girls' programs offered by BSA," the complaint said. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against trademark breaches and monetary damages.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/girl-sc...nt-2018-11-07/

Summary:

A few months back the Boy Scouts decided to all girls to participate in its organization. No longer exclusive to boys, they decided to change their name to Scouts BSA.

The Girl Scouts, a competing organization, say "wait a minute, you don't earn the word 'scouts'. The complaint that the Girl Scouts present is that the new name is too confusing. That a parent/girl might join Scouts BSA when they really meant to join Girl Scouts.

So do they have a case? Does the name change create too much confusion for girls or were they caught off guard by Scouts BSA?

[Deleted]

Epoch of the mentally ill...

[Yuelle]

I think western civilization is slowly dying and it is unbelievably entertaining to watch.

[Deleted]

I love it when they eat their own XD.

[Knaar]

why not just fusing both boy scouts and girls scouts under the same name "Scouts" ?... must be too easy...

[Steelangel]

why not just fusing both boy scouts and girls scouts under the same name "Scouts" ?... must be too easy...

Because they are completely different programs and program structures. The Boy Scouts are an organization that aims to uphold ethical values, conservation and outdoor skills/survival. Girl Scouts is a cookie selling company with a youth program dedicated to female empowerment.

Good luck merging that. It would be a monstrosity.

[Jonnusthegreat]

They don't have a case. They didn't jump the gun. They are just too busy denying males into their exclusive club to care about being inclusive.
Amidoinitrite?
But seriously, they don't have a case.

[Linkedblade]

Well, before if you said "he's a scout" or "she's a scout" you knew which organization they were in. Now you dont. I blame the GSA anyway. They began to accept boys years ago.

- - - Updated - - -

They don't have a case. They didn't jump the gun. They are just too busy denying males into their exclusive club to care about being inclusive.
Amidoinitrite?
But seriously, they don't have a case.

Before they were aimed at different groups, now they compete because they are aimed at youth in general.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Before they were aimed at different groups, now they compete because they are aimed at youth in general.

Your target audience has no basis on a trademark claim that doesn't include your trademark.

[Linkedblade]

Your target audience has no basis on a trademark claim that doesn't include your trademark.

Not disagreeing with you. But it's now in the GSA interest to take the BSA to court for such things.

[vilememory]

Yeah they chose to allow girls not like they were forced to that bunch of angry protesters and activist. Just send it all together they can be no boy only spaces it'll just be the Girl Scouts but boys can join two they'll just be known as Girl Scouts. Now get out there and sell those damn cookies children.

[stevenho]

Money, it's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit

[therealbowser]

Edit: I changed my mind. It's just not worth it. It's all nonsense and I want no part of it.

[Locklen]

How about we just change Girl scouts to My first MLM. That way there won't be any confusion.

[Queen of Hamsters]

They gotta guard them profits somehow.

Having exclusive right to all girls because the larger and let's face it, more interesting organization didn't allow girls "coz reasons" sure made them big bucks.

[Puupi]

Equality, the biggest enemy of women in 2018.

[yetgdhfgh]

Robert Baden-Powell must be turning in his grave!!

I was a scout and i support gays in scouting but please stop this gender war from destroying Scouting for both males and females.

[Super Kami Dende]

Lol, fucking hilarious. It was pants on heads retarded to get Girls to join the Boy Scouts anyway when the Girl Scouts exist. before anyone starts the "bUt BoY ScOuTs TeAcH MoRe StUfF!", literally all that had to change was the Girl scouts add more to their activities, not the cross over of Genders from some inane virtue signalling fucktards in the Boy Scouts.

[Dendrek]

This is about money, not politics. All of it. Money. Why you guys feel the need to pretend this is a microcosm of gender identity or equality issues shows how deeply invested you are in relatively minor issues that don't even affect you. The boy scouts isn't including girls because of feminism, it's because they want more participation. The girl scouts isn't suing because of feminism, it's because they want more participation (and to reduce the possibility their participation will drop resulting from the aforementioned change).

The only ones hurting themselves in their confusion are the people who feel the need to turn anything involving gender into a major political issue. It was better when only Tumblr felt the need to do that.

[grexly75]

Well the Boy Scouts organization were happily motoring along for the last 100+ years, until this crap of the last couple of years cropped up..