The legal battle over the slogan “The Other White Meat” may get going again this summer in the courts. The National Pork Producers Council will continue to fight for a slogan that’s gained 300 percent in value and is widely recognized across the U.S.
A report in DTN says the concern is growing that all checkoff programs could be in trouble because of the threat of lawsuits. The National Pork Board purchased the trademark from the NPPC in 2006. In 2012, the Humane Society of the U.S., Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, and an Iowa pork producer accused the Pork Board of opposing Humane Society efforts to legislate mandatory humane animal treatment. They called Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s approval of the sale and annual payments to the NPPC as an “abuse of discretion.”
Both sides in the suit filed a proposed schedule of court hearing for this summer as well as a motion for summary judgment in August. Based on court documents, it does look like this will continue into 2017.