The Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) have filed a federal lawsuit on the grounds of trademark infringement against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). This trouble began in October 2017 when the BSA announced that it would begin to let girls enroll into all of the programs the organization offers.

This decision was the most progressive decision the BSA has made since it formally allowed gay people to join and be a part of scouting in 2013. It showed how the BSA was finally letting go of its sexist policies and breaking unnecessary boundaries that have been around since it was formed in 1910. This decision not only made the BSA more relevant in America, but also made the organization similar to other scouting organizations throughout the world who started letting girls in years ago.

Although this change had a monumental impact to many scouts, some people opposed it. The GSUSA accused the BSA’s national president of using a “covert campaign”. This opposition led to the initial lawsuit, with the GSUSA claiming that the BSA are misusing certain trademarks. The BSA’s program for 11-17 year olds’ is now called Scouts BSA, which is apparently not gendered enough for the GSUSA. The GSUSA declares that the generic term scouting will cause confusion and cause the public to believe the two organizations to merge. The GSUSA also claims that the BSA’s decision to admit girls will “marginalized” the female organization. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against trademark infringement.

Ironically, around a century prior the BSA sued the GSUSA for its usage of the word scout.

The reality is that the Girl Scouts of the USA suing the BSA will not impact either of the organizations’ enrollment rates. The only way this could be achieved is through improvements in each’s programs and better marketing.