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Boy Scouts threaten to sue Oakland-based nonprofit for using 'scouts' in name


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This puts a lie to the claim by apologists for BSA discriminatory practices that all those excluded need to do is to create their own Scouting organization; eg, "Atheist Scouts", which I believe I've seen them offer. BSA holds a monopoly on Scouting in this country and they have a long history of suing anybody who tries to create an alternative Scouting organization.

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Or, is it dishonorable to let the public associate the largest and oldest movements in the USA with your novelty? Even if that movement is in its nadir, isn't it more trustworthy to take a name that

This puts a lie to the claim by apologists for BSA discriminatory practices that all those excluded need to do is to create their own Scouting organization; eg, "Atheist Scouts", which I believe I've seen them offer. BSA holds a monopoly on Scouting in this country and they have a long history of suing anybody who tries to create an alternative Scouting organization.
Don't play semantics, friend. A naive prospect would immediately associate a youth movement with that name to the pre-existing movement. If someone proposed such a thing to you in the past, it surely was not to simply tape that name over existing BSA material and carry on, but to organize a youth movent on better and more nobly applied principles than the current movement,

 

 

Something like "Young Naturalists" would not infringe on the trademark. Of course, it might infringe one someone else's moniker. Start-ups have to do their homework.

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This puts a lie to the claim by apologists for BSA discriminatory practices that all those excluded need to do is to create their own Scouting organization; eg, "Atheist Scouts", which I believe I've seen them offer. BSA holds a monopoly on Scouting in this country and they have a long history of suing anybody who tries to create an alternative Scouting organization.
Semantics? Scouting was a "pre-existing movement" when Congress picked the BSA as its American monopoly corporation, in EXCHANGE for the promise to define Scouting as the Scoutcraft program practiced on June 15, 1916.

 

A naïve prospect would immediately associate the BSA with "Scouting," but we pay a guy a million dollars a year to badmouth Scoutcraft in the name of Wood Badge.

 

It's as if Congress granted the Yellow Cab Corporation a monopoly on "Taxi" on June 15, 2016. You call for a taxi on June 16th, but a guy arrives at your house to teach you "leadership skills."

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This puts a lie to the claim by apologists for BSA discriminatory practices that all those excluded need to do is to create their own Scouting organization; eg, "Atheist Scouts", which I believe I've seen them offer. BSA holds a monopoly on Scouting in this country and they have a long history of suing anybody who tries to create an alternative Scouting organization.
Don't play semantics, friend.
Then do please stop playing semantics and stop projectin.

 

And I know better than to call your kind "friend".

 

Another youth movement with different name and different objectives would not be Scouting.

 

BSA holds a monopoly on Scouting in this country. Despite it's being held hostage by religious bigots.

 

A youth movement that is not Scouting is not nor have ever been the issue. We are talking about Scouting being available to all. If you want to exclude anybody, then you had damned well be able to provicde a cogent argument for their exclusion.

 

Officially published BSA policy provides no such support.

 

I know full well that apologists for BSA religious discrimination have advanced the "argument" that atheists could form their own "Atheist Scouts". I am also quite certain that that same argument has been posted on this very same forum. I know that such an "argument" is absolutely false and I know that proof of this is BSA's readiness to sue anybody over their "copyright".

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There are so many other names that a youth group of 'hackers' could use. Why choose 'Scouts' if they weren't trying to get mileage from BSA's brand?

 

(Note: This is probably the first and last time that I'll ever agree with Irving on something!)

I think the reason the call themselves "scouts" is because the kids can earn patches for learning certain skills (chemistry, electronic circuits, animation, rocketeering, etc.). It's a bunch of kids learning STEM, not a dedicated outdoor program and I'm not sure who could possibly be confused by the BSA branding.
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It was a very valid defense.

 

---- You can create your own Pizza Hut, but ya can't call it Pizza Hut.

 

---- You can create your own McDonalds, but ya can't call it McDonalds.

 

---- You can sell your own Kleenex, but ya can't call them Kleenex.

 

---- You can creating your own scouting organization, but ya can't use scouts.

 

The Oakland group was leveraging the goodwill and reputation of the BSA program to create their own credibility. They wanted to ride the coattails of another group and muddy the waters on which program is which.

 

........................

 

DWise1_AOL is just another faith hater damaged by their own lives and now looking to damage others.

 

It's not that they wanted to actually create another program as much as they want to change ours.

 

Dwise1_AOL ... May I suggest ... Atheist Youth Adventurers, AYA. ... Atheist Pioneers? ... Or UUA youth ?

 

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It was a very valid defense.

 

The difference between the BSA and all those other companies you mentioned is that the word "scout" (unqualified) is not trademarked and probably can't be because it is too generic. It is protected because of the Boy Scouts' congressional charter and not because of trademark as is the case with Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Kleenex, etc.

 

The other thing is that "Hacker Scouts" is not a scouting organization at all, it's simply a youth organization, so there is little chance of confusion.

 

All that said, there is nothing keeping an atheist from starting a "scout-like" youth organization and calling it something else. I also know that the BPSA accepts atheists -- in fact their chief commissioner is an atheist.

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Point taken. Legalistically, "Scouts" / "Scout" is not a trademark. But as you acknowledge, it is protected and essentially as good as a trademark. And many companies are under congressional charters. Girl scouts. Red Cross. American Legion. Etc.

 

As for trademark though....

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Licensing/Protecting%20the%20Brand/Boy%20Scouts%20of%20America%20Trademark%20Listing.aspx

 

It seems very clear though that "Hacker Scouts" is trying to leverage the good reputation developed over 100 years of Boy Scouts. BSA does have registered trademarks in Cub Scout(s), Boy Scout(s), Venturing Scout, Sea Scouts, Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, Scout Shop, Scout Stuff, Scoutmaster, Scouting USA.

 

Hacker scouts knew very well what they were doing and that is why they choose the name. They just didn't think anyone would care. But BSA needs to defend the brand.

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And Check this Out ...Dead Means Not Longer Valid

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[TD](REGISTRANT) BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA FEDERALLY CHARTERED CORPORATION P.O. BOX 152079 1325 WALNUT HILL LANE IRVING TEXAS 750152079[/TD]

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