The Committee on Trademark Licensing and Human Rights invites students, faculty and staff to join in the conversation regarding the production of licensed goods that carry the University of Notre Dame’s name, logos, marks or other symbols.
From 9 to 10 a.m., there will be a presentation by Notre Dame’s Student Worker Participation Committee. Attendees will hear from students Anna Scartz, Eleanor Wood and Emily Yeager as well as alumnus Armani (Nikko) Porter on the history of student involvement in licensing at Notre Dame, the structure of the Student Worker Participation Committee and how other universities can engage their own student bodies in similar efforts.
From 10:15 to 11:30 a.m., Tomi Gerhold, director of licensing at Notre Dame, will moderate the panel discussion "From Sweatshops to Sweating Audits: The Role of Higher Education in the Manufacture of Licensed Products." Participants will be:
- Kevin Cassidy, director of the United States Office, International Labor Organization
- Georges Enderle, John T. Ryan Jr. Professor of International Business Ethics, Notre Dame
- Jason Roberts, chief executive officer, Sumerra (a workplace and environmental consulting company)
- Miriam Rodriguez, freelance auditor for the Fair Labor Association
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of both sessions.
Thursday’s events are part of a larger Gathering on Trademark Licensing and Human Rights that Notre Dame is hosting for licensing practitioners to share best practices and challenges. In addition to Notre Dame and the organizations listed above, 13 other universities will be represented, including Northwestern University, Penn State University, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Florida and Vanderbilt University.
The Committee on Trademark Licensing and Human Rights seeks to ensure that the manufacture of Notre Dame licensed products both respects and affirms the dignity of all those engaged in the production process. Learn more about the committee’s work.