Legal Definitions - product

In a legal context, a product refers to an item that is manufactured or processed and then sold or distributed commercially for people to use or consume. It typically has three key characteristics:

• It is usually a physical, tangible item.
• It is the result of some form of manufacturing, assembly, or processing.
• It moves through a commercial supply chain, from its creation to its eventual use or consumption by the end-user.

This definition is crucial in areas like product liability law, where the safety and quality of goods are evaluated.

Examples:

• A newly purchased smartphone: When a consumer buys a smartphone from an electronics store, the phone is considered a product. It is a tangible item, manufactured through a complex process of assembling various components, and it passes through a commercial distribution chain from the manufacturer to the retailer before reaching the end-user for personal use. This clearly fits all aspects of the legal definition.

• A bottle of commercially produced fruit juice: A bottle of orange juice sold in a supermarket is also a product. The juice is processed from raw fruit, bottled, and packaged (fabrication/processing). It is a tangible item distributed commercially through a network of suppliers and retailers for consumption by customers. This demonstrates how processed food items fall under the definition.

• An automobile tire installed on a car: An individual tire, before or after being installed on a vehicle, is a product. It is a tangible item made from rubber and other materials through a manufacturing process. These tires are distributed commercially to auto dealerships, tire shops, or directly to car manufacturers, eventually reaching consumers for use on their vehicles. This illustrates a durable good that is often sold as part of a service but is fundamentally a manufactured product.