National Pork Board Threatens to Sue Lactivist Blogger

The National Pork Board has threatened to sue a breastmilk promoting mom over her spin off use of the Pork Board's trademark phrase "the other white meat". Jennifer Laycock, editor of Search Engine Guide, and founder of The Lactivist a site that aims to promote breastfeeding, stated that she recently received a letter threatening legal action over one of the humorous shirts that she sells from her blog.

The shirt in question reads "The Other White Milk", which Laycock says "I was comparing breastmilk which just happens to be white with the milk of a variety of other animals (cows? goats?) that happen to produce white milk and that often gets fed to infants INSTEAD of breast milk." She feels that this legal threat is ridiculous, and others agree. The Pork Board demanded that she remove the shirt from her store claiming that the similar slogan tarnishes the name of the Pork Board. In the letter from the Pork Board they not only demanded that she remove the shirt with the similar slogan, but also insinuated that Laycock's site was not promoted breastfeeding for infants but instead promoting something shadier.

A quote from the letter received by Laycock reads "In addition, your use of this slogan also tarnishes the good reputation of the National Pork Board's mark in light of your apparent attempt to promote the use of breastmilk beyond merely for infant consumption, such as with the following slogans on your website in close proximity to the slogan "The Other White Milk." "Dairy Diva," "Nursing, Nature's Own Breast Enhancement," "Eat at Mom's, fast-fresh-from the breast," and "My Milk is the Breast."

Laycock feels that the Pork Board has not truly examined her site and the purpose for it but is simply attacking her and her site in an effort to fervently defend their trademark slogan. "We've got a hobby site by a work-at-home mom that aims at helping to educate the public about breastfeeding and human milk banking. A site that has raised nearly $2000 (more than a third of its total profit over the last year) for the Mother's Milk Bank of Ohio. A site that has made a measly $8 dollars off the sale of this shirt that is supposedly doing so much damage to people's desire to eat pork." Laycock tells us.

Many more moms are upset and rallying together to defend Laycock. They feel that the Pork Board's claim that this shirt is defaming them is ludicrous and has no legal standing. Having funds and access to attorneys that most people do not have the Pork Board assumes that no one would attempt to defend themselves but instead follow the demands put before them.

Laycock has asked on her site if anyone has information on a pro bono lawyer who would be willing to work with her on this case. "I don't have a lot of tolerance for bullies." she adds along with asking others to discuss this issue online and spread the word.