Back in May, we reported that the Boy Scouts of America would be changing their name to simply just “Scouts BSA,” with their members being known as “Scouts,” as they prepare to welcome girls into their organization.
However, the changes aren’t sitting too well with the Girl Scouts, which is why they filed a federal trademark lawsuit on Tuesday.
According to Time, the lawsuit is looking to stop the boy’s group from rebranding itself simply as “Scouts.” In the filing, the Girl Scouts (GSUSA) claims that the move made by the Boy Scouts will “marginalize” the female organization and “erode its core brand identity.”
In the complaint filed in a Manhattan federal court, it states, “Since BSA’s announcement that it would admit girls to its core programs, GSUSA’s fears about the damage that would be caused to its trademarks and the mission those trademarks symbolize have been realized. 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 Girls Scouts is looking for a court order to stop the Boy Scouts from using the terms “Scout,” “Scouts,” “Scouting,” or “Scouts BSA” without an “inherently distinctive or distinguishing term appearing immediately before it.”
As we previously reported, Mike Surbaugh, the Chief Scout Executive said, “We wanted to land on something that evokes the past but also conveys the inclusive nature of the program going forward. We’re trying to find the right way to say we’re here for both young men and young women.”
Roommates, what are your thoughts?
Source: http://time.com/5446540/girl-scouts-boy-scouts-lawsuit/
