Judge Trims Dog Tag Trademark Suit Against Department of Defense

A federal judge axed some claims but declined to dismiss a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense accusing it of violating the First Amendment by denying trademark licenses to a company that sells dog tags bearing Bible verses.

Judge J. Campbell Barker granted the Pentagon’s request to dismiss three of 13 claims and dismissed portions of 8 other claims in the trademark lawsuit brought by Texas company Shields of Strength, according to a May 31 order in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. But Barker denied DOD’s effort to dismiss claims that it violated the ...