# Ethics of re-labelling



## Susie (Oct 19, 2007)

Is there anything unethical about taking out a manufacturer's label and sewing in your own? Is it illegal or anything?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

No, it's perfectly legal and ethical. Even the big boys do it (Billabong, Zoo York, etc.)


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

I agree with Joe; so long as you don't change any of the factual information (e.g. 100% cotton, Made in Mexico... whatever the particulars are) you're in the clear ethically and legally.


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## Naga (Mar 11, 2008)

A few years ago, my wife bought some sweaters to me in Bangkok.
They were from a well known Fashion Giant, and they had two "made in" tags - one was a tear off tag, that said "Made in Thailand", and the other was a more permanent one, that said "Made in France".

They were bought in the brands own shop, listed on the brands website. There is no possibility, that they could be counterfeit.

Apparently, the big brand has found, that by tearing off a tag in France and by quality inspection in France, the item was now produced in France.


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## Susie (Oct 19, 2007)

Cool!!! I wonder if that would work in North America. Wouldn't made in the USA sound better than made in Columbia? Geez, you just never know what you're getting do you??


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

That would not work according to the FTC guidelines.

"Made In" is actually "Made In"!

There have been cases where the FTC has imposed heavy fines for not complying with the guidelines.


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## Division26 (Aug 7, 2007)

Now if I could just get Dickies to come with buttons that say Division26 instead of Dickies I could really round out my line!


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## Susie (Oct 19, 2007)

Guidelines. I hate guidelines. 
I suppose it would be awfully misleading without them, though wouldn't it?

Heh heh. That's funny division26. Why don't you just give Dickies a call? Great website by the way!


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## pauley11 (Aug 6, 2008)

do you have to put the "made in" in the front?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Susie said:


> Cool!!! I wonder if that would work in North America.


Nope. But a variant would work in Australia - you'd have to do more than just quality control and rip a tag out, but if enough of the production is done locally you don't have to mention the overseas part. Kind of dodgy, and the US is a lot stricter about it.


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## gcloche (Sep 16, 2008)

There is nothing illegal with the practice of removing a manufacturers label and replacing it with another. The potentially illegal things happen when you either leave out information necessary as outlined in each country's labelling laws or if you replace a certain piece of information. An example of that would be to take a Made in Honduras label out and replace it with a Made in USA label.
All apparel labels have to show
1) fiber content (100% cotton)
2) Country of origin (Made in "")
3) Size
4) washing instructions (minimum of symbols)

These are the 4 components almost all jurisdictions require. How well they are enforced remains another topic of discussion


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