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Amazon; Second Restatement of Torts; distribution chain; product defects; injury; consumers; sellers; Section 402a; marketplace; insolvency; internet; product liability; Oberdorf v. Amazon.com; Communications Decency Act; Third Circuit; Third-party sellers; Fullfillment by Amazon; FBA; Business Solutions Agreement; BSA; price parity; third-party vendors; sponsorship; Amazon's choice; Best Seller; Prime; keyword bids; supply chain; Buy Box; FDA; Food and Drug Administration
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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Heavy Hand Of Amazon: A Seller Not A Neutral Platform, Edward J. Janger, Aaron D. Twerski
The Heavy Hand Of Amazon: A Seller Not A Neutral Platform, Edward J. Janger, Aaron D. Twerski
Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law
Since the adoption of Section 402A of the Second Restatement of Torts, every party in a product’s distribution chain has been potentially liable for injuries caused by product defects. Consumers who buy from reputable sellers are almost always guaranteed to have a solvent defendant if injured by a product defect. Amazon, though responsible for a vast number of retail sales, has sought to avoid liability by claiming that it is not a seller but a neutral platform that merely facilitates third-party sales to consumers. With two significant exceptions, most courts have sided with Amazon and concluded that Amazon is not …