E-commerce policy to crack down on counterfeit makers, resellers

A decade ago, online sellers like Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon arguably had immunity when it came to liability for the authenticity of products sold on their platforms.

Counterfeit electronic goods, knock-offs of apparel, cosmetics and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products were common-place online. 

However, the tide started to first turn after a judgment against dotcom seller Baazee.com in 2004 for selling a sleazy clip of students on its site. 

That set the stage for how laws were to apply for intermediaries, who neither customers nor original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) could earlier take on. This is because of the enormous customer reach and