Even after HSUS lawsuit,USDA approves pork checkoff payments for trademarks

After its review, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has ruled that the National Pork Board can continue to pay its $3 million annual payments to the National Pork Producers Council for the “Pork: The Other White Meat” trademarks. The review was conducted following a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the US in 2012 alleging the payment for the trademarks was an unlawful use of Pork Checkoff Funds.  A district judge dismissed the case and an appellate court reversed that decision last year.