Defective products: is a supplier a producer?

In a judgment of 19 December 2024 (C-157/23, Ford Italia), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) clarified the concept of "producer" within the meaning of Directive 85/374/EEC on liability for defective products. It ruled that the supplier of a defective product may be held liable even if he has not physically affixed his name or trademark to the product, provided that the name of this supplier coincides with the manufacturer's trade…