FASH210

Carbon Footprint

"A measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide."

Fair Trade

"It is an alternative approach to conventional international trade. It is a trading partnership which aims at sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers." The Fair Trade certification label allows consumers to endorse products that guarantee fair labor conditions are met.

Sustainability

"The ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people," according to the U.S. EPA. Alternatively, the British government defines sustainable development as "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Knockoff

A fashion item that is almost identical to a designer or brand name product in style, but does not bear false labeling to mislead the consumer into thinking that the garment is an object of the name brand itself.

Brand

A name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and differentiate them from those of competitors.

Counterfeit

A product that bears the label or distinct copyrighted design feature of another designer or brand without having paid licensing fees or obtaining permission to copy the trademark.

Trade Dress

A product's design, product packaging, color, or other disguising nonfunctional element of appearance. The Trademark Manual of Examination Procedures states that, in an application for trade dress, distinctiveness and functionality are two separate issues, both of which must be considered by examining attorney. Trade dress is an extension of trademark law that extends when the product brand achieves secondary meaning for consumers insomuch that if it is copied, consumers will associate the copy mistakenly to be the original.

Patent

A property right granted by the government of the United States to an inventor to "exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States" for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

Copyright

A registration intellectual property ownership that protects artistic and literary work.

Carbon Neutral

A state where a person or institution has reduced its carbon emissions where possible, and then purchased a carbon offset for its remaining emissions, bringing its carbon footprint down to zero.

Trademark

A word, phrase, symbol, or design, or combination of words, phrases, symbols, or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. The owner of a registered trademark may pursue legal proceedings for trademark infringement to prevent unauthorized use of the trademark although registration is not required. Trademarks can be renewed forever as long as they are being used in commerce.

Wages and Benefits

Employers recognize the wages are essential to meeting employees' basic needs. Employers shall pay employees, as a floor, at least the minimum wage required by local law or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher, and shall provide legally mandated benefits.

Health and Safety

Employers shall provide a safe and healthy working environment to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of employer facilities.

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Employers shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Harassment or Abuse

Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, or psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.

Hours of Work

Except in extraordinary business circumstances, employees shall (i) not be required to work more than the lesser of (a) 48 hours per week and 12 hours overtime or (b) the limits on regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country of manufacture or, where the laws of such country do not limit the hours of work, the regular work week in such country plus 12 hours overtime and (ii) be entitled to at least one day off in every seven day period.

Organic Cotton

Grown without the use of genetically modified seeds, synthetic fertilizers, or chemical herbicides and insecticides. Crops must be rotated to replenish the soil.

Overtime Compensation

In addition to their compensation for regular hours of work, employees shall be compensated for overtime hours at such premium rate as is legally required in the country of manufacture or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a rate at least equal to their regular hourly compensation rate.

Third Party Certification

It provides oversight of claims regarding organic attributes. There are a number of certifying bodies around the world, including the USDA, Demeter (Europe), SKAL (The Netherlands), the Soil Association (England), and The Japan Organic Cotton Association. The International federation of Organic Agricultural Movements creates international standards.

Child Labor

No person shall be employed at an age younger than 15 or 14 where the law of the country of manufacture allows, or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture where such age is higher than 15.

Nondiscrimination

No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, social or ethnic origin.

Organic Labeling

On apparel, it defines various levels of organic cotton usage. "100% Organic Cotton" must contain 100% organically produced cotton, including any sewing thread. "Organic Cotton" must contain 95% organically produced cotton; "Made with organic cotton" must contain at least 70%; and "Made with x% Organic Cotton" must contain the percentage indicated.

Piracy

The act of illegally copying branded merchandise or protected intellectual property, named for the acts of maritime pirates who commit robbery for their own gains. Piracy in terms of intellectual property refers to the theft of copyrighted work, trademarks, service marks, and patents.

Carbon Offset

The act of reducing net carbon emissions by allotting resources to practices that decrease pollutants. For example, emission credits can be purchased to lower pollutants from other sources, such as power plants, or to pay companies who emit less than the recommended amount. It can also be as simple as paying to have new trees planted, or investing in solar or wind power.

Service Mark

The same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product.

Forced Labor

There shall not be any use of forced labor, whether in the form of prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or otherwise.