Girl Scouts of the USA, Which Teaches Girls to Be Entrepreneurs, Is Taking on the Boys in a Federal Lawsuit The lawsuit argues that the Boy Scouts' decision to drop 'boy' from its name and recruit girls erodes the Girl Scouts brand.

By Joan Oleck

Rick Kern | Getty Images

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, in protest of the latter group's decision to drop "Boy" from its name and to welcome older girls.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan's U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, argues that the Boy Scouts' move could erode the Girl Scouts brand and membership numbers.

Related: The CEO of the Girl Scouts Wants to Turn Today's Cookie Sellers Into Tomorrow's Powerful Female Entrepreneurs

The lawsuit is important not only to the girls involved in Girl Scouts but to families nationwide who welcome that organization's mission to encourage and train their daughters to be entrepreneurs and leaders through such efforts as:

  • Camp CEO, offered by 14 Girl Scout councils nationwide as a summer camp or other program, typically utilizing a Shark Tank format in which 14- to 17-year-olds create and pitch new businesses to veteran adult businesswomen.
  • A system of 29 Girl Scout badges ranging from "Money Counts" and "Business Owner" for girls in elementary school, to "Entrepreneur," "Financing My Dreams," "Business Etiquette" and "Social Innovator" for middle and high school girls.
  • The Girl Scout cookie program, the largest entrepreneurial effort for girls worldwide which, according to its website, promotes such skills as goal-setting, decision-making and money management.

The suit is in reaction to the May announcement of the Boy Scouts, which accepts children 11 to 17 years old, that it would change its name to Scouts BSA next February (2019), and make girls eligible to earn its highest rank, Eagle Scout.

Girl Scouts USA said it would not comment on pending litigation. The Boy Scouts said in a statement it was reviewing the lawsuit, noting that, "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."

Girl Scouts said in its complaint that the name change threatens to "marginalize" Girl Scouts activities and has already created confusion. Families, schools and communities nationwide have been told that the organization no longer exists, or has merged with the Boy Scouts, the complaint states. Girl Scouts USA has about 2 million members; Boy Scouts has about 1.8 million, a steep drop from its peak years in the 1970s.

Related: 8 Lessons This Record-Breaking Girl Scout Can Teach Entrepreneurs

"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.

Joan Oleck

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor

Joan Oleck is an associate contributors editor at Entrepreneur. She has previously worked for Business Week, Newsday and the trade magazine Restaurant Business, where a cover story she wrote won the Jesse Neal Award.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Nobody Ever Gave Me Anything': More Boomers Say They're Not Transferring Wealth to Family Until They're Dead

A new survey from Charles Schwab found boomers are more hesitant to distribute their wealth than other generations.

Franchise

The Simple Formula Behind a Top-Ranked Personal Care Franchise

Great Clips ranked #1 in the personal care category and #33 overall on Entrepreneur's 2025 Franchise 500.

Business Solutions

Business Owners are Cancelling Their OpenAI Membership for This Less Expensive Alternative

1min.AI gives you lifetime access to GPT-4o, Midjourney, Gemini, and more with no recurring costs.

Business News

Fans of Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog Combo Are In for a Big Surprise

Costco CEO Ron Vachris announced a change that's coming soon to the company's food courts.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.