Girls vs Boys! Girl Scouts of USA Drag Boy Scouts Into Legal Battle Over Trademark Infringement
The organisation claims that Boy Scouts inclusive to rebrand effort has caused many confusions among the consumers. Some even think that the two organisations have merged.
With the dream of uniting and empowering young girls from all sphere at the United States of America, Girl Scouts was introduced back in 1912. A troop meeting of 18 girls, the organisation has since grown to about 3.7 million members. At the initial, it was pronounced as the Girl Guides of America and after a year, in 1913, they changed its name to Girl Scouts of the United States (GSUSA) with its headquarter at Washington D.C. Giving a tough competition with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) which was founded in 1910, there was no looking back for the girls in U.S. However, recently, maybe in a bid to regain its fame, the Boy Scouts announced to drop ‘Boy’ from its flagship program to attract girls. The Girl Scouts did not remain calm and dragged the non-profit into a legal battle over trademark infringement. From ’N’ to ‘Winnie the Pooh’ These 7 Things Are Not Allowed in China.
Girl Scouts, the organisation which came into limelight challenging the non-inclusion of women in the field, are now suing the Boy Scouts. The organisation claims that the latter’s inclusive to rebrand effort has caused many confusions among the consumers. Some even think that the two organisations have merged. GSUSA informed the media outlets, that November 6 trademark infringement lawsuit is an attempt to clear up the uncertainty. The complaint was filed in the Manhattan federal court. As quoted by the USA Today, the Girl Scouts claimed 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’.” Going Braless Has Made Women Lose Their Jobs! Can Sexist Dressing Be Forced on Female Employees?
Reportedly, in 2017, the Boy Scouts of America announced that it will open doors to the girls from 2019. The alleged organisation released a statement saying that it was reviewing the lawsuit ‘carefully’. It read, “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.” The Girls Scouts further claim that the name change announcement has already damaged their program. It believes that throughout the country, families, schools and communities have been told that GSUSA and BSA have merged or even GSUSA does not exist anymore. The lawsuit filed against BSA seeks a permanent injunction against the trademark infringement and monetary damages.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 07, 2018 04:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).