Today, the Girl Scouts will celebrate their 100th birthday.
The Girl Scouts use some great trademarks! While the Girl Scouts name itself may be descriptive or a little weak (at least originally, before it was well known and acquired distinctiveness), the logos and slogans are terrific. Thin Mints are iconic. The Girl Scouts have done a terrific job branding and protecting many elements of their brand. They even have an iPhone app called Cookie Finder!
Here are some great Girl Scout trademarks (click marks or logos for link to USPTO records):
WINGS WOMEN INVESTING IN GIRL SCOUTING
GIRL SCOUTS (Note: see the USPTO records for this interesting trademark protected in all Classes of goods and services indefinitely. “This serial number identifies non-registration matter in the USPTO database. “)
For a list of additional marks protected by U.S. statutes, see Appendix C of the T.M.E.P. here.
The Girl Scouts logos and most of their brand names are cohesive and fit together well. The logos are clean and simple. And who doesn’t love a Thin Mint®?
The cookie names, other than Thin Mint, appear to be protected by Kellogs or other companies. Presumably there is are agreements between the Girl Scouts and the companies regarding use and distribution. The three names below are owned by Kellogs:
Tip: The Girl Scouts website has a page with an FAQ on proper use of their copyrights and trademarks. This is a good idea for all businesses — its shows that you take protection seriously, could bolster any claim you have for infringement against someone, and could help avoid or reduce any misuse of your intellectual property.
