Girl Scouts sues Boy Scouts
Female side alleges trademark infringement
NEW YORK: The Girl Scouts of the United States of America has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, 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.
It was filed after the Boy Scouts, which accepts children 11 to 17 years old, said in May it would change its name to Scouts BSA in February 2019, and make girls eligible to earn its highest rank, Eagle Scout.
The Boy Scouts said in a statement it was reviewing the lawsuit.
“We applaud every organisation that builds character and leadership in children, including the Girl Scouts, and believe there is an opportunity for both organisations to serve girls and boys,” it added on Tuesday.
Based in Irving, Texas, the Boy Scouts recently had about 2.28 million members, while the Girl Scouts, based in Manhattan, said it has about two million.
In the complaint, the Girl Scouts said the Boy Scouts has no monopoly over such terms as “scouts” and “scouting” when it offers services to girls.
It also 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.