Licensing and Labelling Guide

The Licensing and Labelling Guide specifies the licensing conditions for companies participating in the GOTS Program and defines the corresponding Licence Fees. It further sets the requirements for the use of the registered trademark 'Global Organic Textile Standard' (GOTS logo) in order to ensure correct and consistent application on products as well as in advertisements, catalogues or other publications.

Basic Information about the Licensing System

  • With the completion of GOTS certification by an approved certifier a certified entity acquires a sub-licence which entitles it to participate in the GOTS programme, including use of the standard and the GOTS logo on its appicable GOTS Goods in accordance with the provisions of the Licensing and Labelling Guide.
  • Each certified entity must pay a licence fee for each calendar year. From 2011 onwards the license fee is set at 120 Euro for each facility that is inspected for the certified entity. The Licence Fee must be collected by the Approved Certifier and transferred to the International Working Group by 31st January of each calendar year. In practice the certifiers collect the licence fees of 120€ during the 2010 inspection season to be able to transfer the total amount to the International Working Group (IWG) until 31st January 2011.
  • Certified Entities that are ordinary members of one of the member organisations of the IWG (Organic Trade Association, IVN, Soil Association or JOCA) pay half of the licence fee amounts (60€ per facility inspected per year).
  • The logo may be used as on-product label to market GOTS certified textiles and intermediates. Its use on certified products is optional. No additional fee applies for the use of the GOTS logo.

Label Application

The GOTS logo always must be accompanied by a reference to the applicable label grade, by a reference to the Approved Certifier who has certified the marked goods (e.g. certifier's name and/or logo) and a reference to the Certified Entity (e.g. Certified Entity’s name and/or licence no).
Sample of correct label application:

In addition to its application as identification mark for GOTS Goods, the GOTS logo represents the Global Organic Textile Standard as such. It may accordingly be used only in the appropriate and unambiguous context, such as for informative and advertising purposes by:

  • Members of the International Working Group
  • Approved Certifiers referring to their approved status and offering their related quality assurance services
  • Certified Entities, brand holders and retailers with reference to their certified operational status and/or their GOTS Goods that are marked with the GOTS logo
  • Stakeholders, NGOs, media and other parties that distribute independent (consumer) information

The complete licensing conditions as well as the requirements related to the label application including the design specifications are specified in the Licensing and Labelling Guide as available below.

'Licensing and Labelling Guide' available for download (pdf, 575 KB)

 

800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The GOTS logo always must be accompanied by a reference to the applicable label grade as provided for in chapter 1.4. of GOTS, by a reference to the Approved Certifier who has certified the marked goods (e.g. certifier's name and/or logo) and a reference to the Certified Entity (e.g. Certified Entity’s name and/or licence no.).