Court rules that Amazon is liable for defective items sold on its site

A California state appeals court has ruled that Amazon.com is liable for products sold on its site that injure customers. The decision overrules a San Diego Superior Court that previously decided that Amazon as a service provider was not liable for defective products sold by other companies. “Whatever term we use to describe Amazon’s role, be it ‘retailer,’ ‘distributor,’ or merely ‘facilitator,’ it was pivotal in bringing the product here to the consumer,” the appeals court held.