The pork industry, at its national meeting held recently in Indianapolis, questioned why it wasn’t consulted about the possible settlement of a lawsuit filed in regard to a purchase agreement made between the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Pork Board (NPB).

In 2013, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. De­­partment of Agriculture (USDA) objecting to the approval of a contract for the Pork Board to purchase the trademark "Pork. The Other White Meat" from the NPPC, which was approved by the USDA in 2006.

The contract valued the trademark at...