In April, the California Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals of its lawsuit against the California Milk Producers Advisory Board.
PETA filed that lawsuit in December 2002 arguing that the board’s marketing campaign constituted false advertising under California law.
The board used the slogan, “Great cheese comes from happy cows. Happy cows come from California.” PETA’s lawsuit maintained that far from being happy, California dairy cows live a miserable existence.
Both a judge and an appeals court panel rejected the lawsuit on the ground that, as a government agency, the California Milk Producers Advisory Board was immune from this sort of lawsuit.
PETA appealed the appeals court panel ruling to the California Supreme Court, which denied without comment PETA’s request for a review of the case.
The full text of the appellate court panel’s decision in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals vs. California Milk Producers Advisory Board can be read here.
Source:
State justices refuse PETA a hearing on the life of cows. Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, April 21, 2005.