The rules, he said, impermissibly discriminate against signs based on their content and overstep the city's stated goals of promoting aesthetics and traffic safety.

But the policies were challenged by civil rights groups, which argued that the rules discriminated against the population for which public housing was intended.

The Justice Department sued the association last year, asserting that the group's rules for online property listings discriminate against Internet-based brokers.

However, judge Johnson ruled that the rule did not discriminate against Anawak as an Inuk.

Ms. Baugh argued that the rule discriminated against the poor.

They assert either that such rules discriminate against public housing tenants as a class or that they jeopardize the tenants' rights to due process of law.

The United States contends that even the nonbinding rules will discriminate against American programs.

Mr. Bradley filed suit on grounds that the company's rule discriminated against black men and thus violated Federal civil rights law.

American automakers have complained that the Japanese rules discriminate against them because Japanese automakers tend to produce slightly lighter cars anyway.

Opponents said the rule would discriminate aginst athletes who were willing to enroll in difficult courses.