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OSTFD - The open standard for textiles and fashion data

What is OSTFD?

OSTFD is a data standard - a set of guidelines and specifications for organising and formatting textiles and fashion data. It is important to understand that:

  • OSTFD is NOT the data itself, but a framework for structuring data
  • OSTFD is NOT a technology or software, but can be implemented using various technologies

Think of OSTFD as a blueprint or a set of rules. It defines how textiles and fashion information should be organised and described, but it doesn’t contain any actual textiles and fashion data.

Purpose of OSTFD

OSTFD enables standardised information exchange about textiles and fashion materials and their flow through the supply chain. By providing a common “language” for describing textiles and fashion data, it allows different systems and organisations to understand and process this information consistently. This standardisation fosters improved collaboration among manufacturers, brands, retailers, consumers, recyclers, compliance schemes and regulators, leading to:

  • Cost savings through process efficiencies
  • Environmental benefits through improved resource use
  • Better interoperability between different systems and databases

Current Version: Version 0.1 UNRELEASED

Using the Standard

When we say “use the standard”, we mean applying the OSTFD guidelines to structure your own textiles and fashion data or to create systems that can work with OSTFD-formatted data. This could involve:

  • Organising your existing textiles and fashion data according to OSTFD specifications
  • Developing software that can read or write data in the OSTFD format
  • Creating databases that store information in a way compatible with OSTFD

OSTFD is free to use, copy and distribute. However, it is copyrighted by Open Data Manchester CIC and released under the Apache Licence, Version 2.0. Proper attribution and adherence to the licence terms are required.

Cost

There is no charge for using OSTFD. You may use it for both commercial (business-related) and non-commercial (e.g., research) purposes at no cost.

Permitted Uses

With OSTFD, you can:

  • Share the standard’s specifications freely
  • Implement the standard in your technology solutions
  • Adopt it as part of your data sharing practices
  • Educate and train others on how to use the standard (free or paid)
  • Create printed versions of the standard’s documentation

Remember, these permissions apply to the standard itself (the set of rules and specifications), not to any specific data or software implementations.

Once granted, these permissions cannot be revoked by OSTFD or Open Data Manchester CIC.

Requirements for Using the Standard As-Is

  1. Attribution: When you use the OSTFD standard to structure your data or build compatible systems, you must credit OSTFD and Open Data Manchester CIC as the creators of the standard. Provide contact information for OSTFD and/or Open Data Manchester CIC.
  2. Integrity: When referring to or implementing the standard in its original form, you must not modify its specifications. This ensures consistency across all implementations of the official OSTFD standard.

Creating Derivative Works

While the original OSTFD standard specifications should not be modified directly, the Apache 2.0 licence does allow for the creation of derivative works under certain conditions:

  1. Clearly state that your work is a modification of the OSTFD standard and is not endorsed by OSTFD or Open Data Manchester CIC.
  2. Retain the original copyright notice and attribute the work to Open Data Manchester CIC and OSTFD.
  3. Indicate prominently that you have made changes to the original standard.
  4. Distribute your derivative work under the same Apache 2.0 licence.
  5. Inform OSTFD of your modifications or extensions to the standard.

We encourage users to submit suggestions for improvements to the official standard rather than creating separate, incompatible versions. This helps maintain consistency and interoperability within the packaging data ecosystem.

Feedback and Improvements

We welcome practical suggestions for improvements to the OSTFD standard. If you have ideas for enhancements:

  1. Contact us with your proposed changes to the standard.
  2. We will consider your suggestions for future iterations of the standard.
  3. This process allows us to maintain a stable, consistent standard while incorporating valuable community input.

Scope and Limitations

OSTFD intentionally focuses on key elements for exchanging data through the supply chain. While textiles and fashion details can be complex, we prioritise simplicity and user-friendliness over exhaustive detail in our standard. This approach ensures the standard remains practical and accessible for all stakeholders.

Our goal is to provide a balanced, straightforward solution that serves the needs of the entire textiles and fashion community while acknowledging the inherent complexities of textiles and fashion specifications.

Remember, OSTFD defines how to structure and format textiles and fashion data - it’s up to individual users and organisations to apply this standard to their specific data and systems.

Contents

  • Start Here

    First time here? Get up to speed fast.

    Getting started

  • Identifiers

    Identifying the different aspects of apparel is key.

    Identifiers

  • Change Log

    Nothing stays the same. Learn about what has changed.

    Change Log