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Compliance Glossary

Product Liability

Strict liability for defective products

Clear definitions for marketplaces, manufacturers, and importers.

What it means

Product liability obliges manufacturers, importers, and in some cases distributors to pay damages when a defective product causes personal injury or property damage — regardless of fault. The EU Product Liability Directive (85/374/EEC), currently modernised by the new Directive (EU) 2024/2853, now also covers digital products and AI systems. For Amazon sellers this means that without proper compliance documentation, existentially threatening liability claims can arise.