The FSA have been approached by a number of individuals in the Forest School sector asking for clarification about the intellectual property rights and ownership of the term ‘Forest Schools’. The Intellectual Property Office have today confirmed that Archimedes Training Ltd have trade marked the words ‘Forest Schools’ but that the trade mark only applies when these words are used in conjunction with the Archimedes logo. This means that the term forest schools can be used to refer to the plural of a forest school site (a number of forest schools) without infringing on Archimedes’ intellectual property rights. We hope that this clarifies the situation for our members and the sector as a whole.
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Funny thing how it is. If a man owns a little property, that property is him, it’s part of him, and it’s like him. If he owns property only so he can walk on it and handle it and be sad when it isn’t doing well, and feel fine when the rain falls on it, that property is him, and some way he’s bigger because he owns it. Even if he isn’t successful he’s big with his property. That is so.’
‘But let a man get property he doesn’t see, or can’t take time to get his fingers in, or can’t be there to walk on it – why, then the property is the man. He can’t do what he wants, he can’t think what he wants. The property is the man, stronger than he is. And he is small, not big. Only his possessions are big – and he’s the servant of his property. That is so, too.”
― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
“No one with protect what they do not first care about.” David Attenborough 2010
http://youtu.be/qxcZEVEqqC8
First ever Forest School Programme Leadership Certificate in Southern Ireland, Co. Wicklow
18th – 22nd November 2013 and 1st – 4th April 2014
(With assessments, training will be completed by June 2014)
“Nature has unlimited potential to educate and nurture” – participant 2011
This qualification is being taught by Forest School training providers from the UK, Circle of Life Rediscovery and Huathe.
Contact Ciara Hinksman 086 3199515 / ciara@earthforceeducation.com for a booking form.
It’s something we have been discussed online as a local FS group. As Jenny says, glad for the clarification.
We do what we can with the resources that we have. As a new professional body we need all the support (and members) that we can get so that we are truly representative of the sector as a whole. We have 539 members so far but we know that there are over 10,000 trained FS people out there.
Thanks for the clarification FSA, that is very helpful.