Settlement Agreement And Release This Document Sets: Fill & Download for Free

AMAZON HELPLINE NO. 09679824416**Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement**Last updated: March 2020**General Terms**Welcome to **Amazon Services Business Solutions**, a suite of optional merchant services including Selling on Amazon (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#SOA), Fulfilment by Amazon (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#FBA) and Amazon Advertising (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#SP) .THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT GOVERN YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SERVICES THROUGH A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OR ACCOUNTS AND IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU OR THE BUSINESS YOU REPRESENT ("**YOU**") AND AMAZON SELLER SERVICES PRIVATE LIMITED. BY REGISTERING FOR OR USING THE SERVICES, YOU (ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF OR THE BUSINESS YOU REPRESENT) AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE SERVICE TERMS AND PROGRAM POLICIES FOR EACH SERVICE YOU REGISTER FOR OR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE AMAZON SITE.As used in this Agreement, "**we,**" "**us,**" and "**Amazon**" means the Amazon company named in the applicable Service Terms. Capitalized terms have the meanings listed in the Definitions (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#Definitions) below. If there is any conflict between these General Terms and the applicable Service Terms and Program Policies, the General Terms will govern and the applicable Service Terms will prevail over the Program Policies.**1. Enrolment**To begin the enrolment process, you must complete the registration process for one or more of the Services. Use of the Services is limited to parties that can lawfully enter into and form contracts under applicable Law. As part of the application, you must provide us with your (or your business') legal name, address, phone number, e-mail address, applicable tax registration details as well as any other information we may request. Any personal data you provide to us will be handled in accordance with Amazon’s Privacy Notice (Amazon.in Privacy Notice).**2. Service Fee Payments**Fee details are described fully in the applicable Service Terms and Program Policies. You are responsible for all of your expenses in connection with this Agreement, unless this Agreement or the applicable Service Terms provide otherwise. For the Amazon Site that you register for or use a Service in connection with, we may require you to submit valid credit card information from a credit card acceptable by Amazon (with respect to such Amazon Site, "**Your Credit Card**") as well as valid bank account information for a bank account in your name that is with a bank located within India and enabled for Your Account (which functionality may be modified or discontinued by us at any time without notice) (with respect to the Amazon Site, "**Your Bank Account**"). You will use only a name you are authorized to use in connection with the Service and will update such information as necessary to ensure that it at all times remains accurate and complete. You authorize us to verify your information (including any updated information), to obtain credit reports about you from time to time, to obtain credit authorizations from the issuer of Your Credit Card, and to charge Your Credit Card or debit Your Bank Account for any sums payable by you to us (in reimbursement or otherwise). At Amazon's option, all payments to you will be made to Your Bank Account, via cheque or electronic transfers or other means as specified by us. You agree that Amazon shall not be liable for any failure to make payments to you on account of incomplete or inaccurate information provided by you with respect to Your Bank Account.In addition to charging payable sums to Your Credit Card, we may instead choose to either (a) offset any amounts that are payable by you to us (in reimbursement or otherwise) against any payments we may make to you, or (b) invoice you for amounts due to us, in which case you will pay the invoiced amounts upon receipt. Except as provided otherwise, all amounts contemplated in this Agreement will be expressed and displayed in the Local Currency, and all payments contemplated by this Agreement will be made in the Local Currency. If we discover erroneous or duplicate transactions, then we reserve the right to seek reimbursement from you by deducting from future payments owed to you, charging Your Credit Card, or seeking such reimbursement from you by any other lawful means; provided that the foregoing will not limit your rights to pursue any good faith dispute with Amazon concerning whether any amounts are payable or due.If we reasonably conclude based on information available to us that your actions and/or performance in connection with the Agreement may result in a significant number of customer disputes, chargebacks or other claims in connection with the Amazon Site, then we may, in our sole discretion and subject to applicable Law, delay initiating any payments to be made or that are otherwise due to you under this Agreement for the shorter of: (a) a period of ninety (90) calendar days following the initial date of suspension; or (b) completion of any investigation(s) regarding your actions and/or performance in connection with the Agreement. You agree that we are entitled to the interest, if any, paid on balances maintained as deposits in our bank accounts.**3. Term and Termination**The term of this Agreement will start on the date of your completed registration for use of one or more of the Services and continue until terminated by us or you as provided below. You may at any time terminate your use of any Service immediately on notice to us via Seller Central, email, the Contact Us Form, or similar means. We may terminate your use of any Services or terminate this Agreement for convenience with 30 days’ advance notice. We may suspend or terminate your use of any Services immediately if we determine that (a) you have materially breached the Agreement and failed to cure within 7 days of a cure notice unless your breach exposes us to liability towards a third party, in which case we are entitled to reduce, or waive, the aforementioned cure period at our reasonable discretion; (b) your account has been, or our controls identify that it may be used for deceptive or fraudulent or illegal activity; or (c) your use of the Services has harmed or our controls identify that it might harm other sellers, customers, or Amazon’s legitimate interest. We will promptly notify you of any such termination or suspension via email or similar means including Seller Central, indicating the reason and any options to appeal, except where we have reason to believe that providing this information will hinder the investigation or prevention of deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, or will enable you to circumvent our safeguards. On termination of this Agreement, all related rights and obligations under this Agreement immediately terminate, except that (d) you will remain responsible for performing all of your obligations in connection with transactions entered into before termination and for any liabilities that accrued before or as a result of termination, and (e) Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15 and 17 of these General Terms survive.**4. Licence**You grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide right and licence for the duration of your original and derivative intellectual property rights during the Term and for as long thereafter as you are permitted to grant the said licence under applicable Law to use any and all of Your Materials for the Services or other Amazon product or service, and to sublicense the foregoing rights to our Affiliates and operators of Amazon Associated Properties; provided, however, that we will not alter any of Your Trademarks from the form provided by you (except to re-size trademarks to the extent necessary for presentation, so long as the relative proportions of such trademarks remain the same) and will comply with your removal requests as to specific uses of Your Materials (provided you are unable to do so using the standard functionality made available to you via the applicable Amazon Site or Services); provided further, however, that nothing in this Agreement will prevent or impair our right to use Your Materials without your consent to the extent that such use is allowable without a licence from you or your Affiliates under applicable Law (e.g., fair use under copyright law, referential use under trademark law, or valid licence from a third party).**5. Representations**Each Party represents and warrantsthat: (a) if it is a business, it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the territory in which your business is registered and are a resident of India for income tax purposes every financial year; (b) it has all requisite right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations and grant the rights, licences and authorizations it grants hereunder; (c) it will comply with all applicable Laws (including but not limited to procuring and maintaining applicable tax registrations) in its performance of its obligations and exercise of its rights under this Agreement; and (d) each party is not subject to sanctions or otherwise designated on any list of prohibited or restricted parties or owned or controlled by such a party, including but not limited to the lists maintained by the United Nations Security Council, the US Government (e.g., the US Department of Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals list and Foreign Sanctions Evaders list and the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List), the European Union or its member states, or other applicable government authority.**6. Indemnification**6.1 You release us from, and agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless us (and our officers, directors, employees, agents and Affiliates) against, any third party claim, loss, damage, settlement, cost, taxes, expense or other liability (including, without limitation, attorneys' fees) (each, a "**Claim**") arising from or related to: (a) your actual or alleged breach of any representations you have made; (b) any sales channels owned or operated by you, Your Products including the offer, sale, fulfilment (except to the extent attributable to the Fulfilment by Amazon Service, if any), refund, cancellation, adjustments, or return thereof), Your Materials, any actual or alleged infringement of any Intellectual Property Rights by any of the foregoing, and any personal injury, death (to the extent the injury or death is not caused by Amazon) or property damage related thereto; or (c) Your Taxes and duties or the collection, payment, or failure to collect or pay Your Taxes or duties, or the failure to meet tax registration obligations or duties; or (d) your non-compliance with applicable laws.6.2 Amazon’s indemnification obligations. Amazon will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless you and your officers, directors, employees and agents against any third-party Claim arising from or related to: (a) Amazon’s non-compliance with applicable laws; or (b) allegations that the operation of an Amazon Site infringes or misappropriates that third party’s intellectual property rights.6.3 Process. If any indemnified Claim might adversely affect us, we may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, voluntarily intervene in the proceedings at our expense. No party may consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement of an indemnified Claim without the prior written consent of the other party, which may not be unreasonably withheld; except that a party may settle any claim that is exclusively directed at and exclusively affects that party.**7. Disclaimer**a. THE AMAZON SITE AND THE SERVICES, INCLUDING ALL CONTENT, SOFTWARE, FUNCTIONS, MATERIALS AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE OR PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICES, ARE PROVIDED "AS-IS." AS A USER OF THE SERVICES, YOU ACCESS THE AMAZON SITE, THE SERVICES AND ANY ONLINE PORTAL OR TOOL PROVIDED BY AMAZON TO HELP YOU AVAIL THE SERVICES AT YOUR OWN RISK. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN SECTION 5 ABOVE, WE AND OUR AFFILIATES WAIVE AND DISCLAIM: (1) ANY REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, DECLARATIONS OR GUARANTEES REGARDING THIS AGREEMENT, THE SERVICES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, DECLARATIONS OR GUARANTEES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT; (2) IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR USAGE OF TRADE; AND (3) ANY OBLIGATION, LIABILITY, RIGHT, CLAIM OR REMEDY IN TORT, WHETHER OR NOT ARISING FROM OUR NEGLIGENCE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE AMAZON SITE OR THE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR BE AVAILABLE, TIMELY, SECURE, UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE, AND WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SYSTEM FAILURES OR OTHER INTERRUPTIONS THAT MAY AFFECT THE RECEIPT, PROCESSING, ACCEPTANCE, COMPLETION OR SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS. SOME JURISDICTIONS' LAWS DO NOT ALLOW EXCLUSION OF AN IMPLIED WARRANTY. IN WHICH CASE THE FOREGOING DISCLAIMER MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND WE AND OUR AFFILIATES DISCLAIM TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON- INFRINGEMENT OR QUIET ENJOYMENT.b. BECAUSE AMAZON IS NOT INVOLVED IN TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN CUSTOMERS AND SELLERS OR OTHER PARTICIPANT DEALINGS, IF A DISPUTE ARISES BETWEEN ONE OR MORE PARTICIPANTS, EACH OF YOU RELEASE AMAZON (AND ITS AGENTS, AFFILIATES AND EMPLOYEES) FROM CLAIMS, DEMANDS, AND DAMAGES (ACTUAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL) OF EVERY KIND AND NATURE, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED AND UNSUSPECTED, DISCLOSED AND UNDISCLOSED, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH SUCH DISPUTES.**8. Limitation of Liability**WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE (WHETHER IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT, DELICT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, PRODUCT LIABILITY, ANY TYPE OF CIVIL RESPONSIBILITY OR OTHER THEORY) OR OTHERWISE) TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR COST OF COVER, RECOVERY OR RECOUPMENT OF ANY INVESTMENT MADE BY YOU OR YOUR AFFILIATES IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT, REVENUE, BUSINESS, OR DATA OR PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, EVEN IF AMAZON HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH COSTS OR DAMAGES. FURTHER, EXCEPT IN CASE OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILFUL MISCONDUCT, OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY WILL NOT EXCEED AT ANY TIME THE TOTAL AMOUNTS DURING THE PRIOR SIX MONTH PERIOD PAID BY YOU TO AMAZON IN CONNECTION WITH THE PARTICULAR SERVICE AND THE AMAZON SITE GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.**9. Insurance**If the Sales Proceeds from Your Transactions through the Fulfilment by Amazon Service in connection with the Amazon Site exceed the Insurance Threshold during each month over any period of three (3) consecutive months, or otherwise if requested by us, then within thirty (30) calendar days thereafter, you will maintain at your expense throughout the remainder of the Term public third party liability insurance in connection with the Amazon Site with at least the Insurance Limits per occurrence/aggregate covering liabilities caused by or occurring in conjunction with the operation of your business in connection with the Amazon Site, including products liability and bodily injury, naming Amazon and its assignees as additional insureds. At our request, you will provide to us certificates of insurance for the **coverage** to the following address: *Amazon Seller Services Limited, 8th Floor, Brigade World Trade Center, 26/1 Dr. Raj Kumar Road, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560055; *and with a copy to: c/o Amazon, P.O. Box 81226, Seattle, WA 98108-1226, Attention: Risk Management.**10. Tax Matters**Your use of Services is subject to Amazon’s Tax Policies (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/help.html/?itemID=GGP87PQ6YNBLNY3C&ref_=xx_GGP87PQ6YNBLNY3C_a_r9_cont_sgsearch). You will comply with any applicable tax laws and fulfill all obligations to the tax authorities in a timely and complete manner.As between the parties, you will be responsible for the collection and payment of any and all of Your Taxes together with the filing of all relevant returns, such as service tax, VAT / CST, goods and services tax, cesses or other transaction taxes, and issuing valid invoices/ credit notes/ debit notes where required. Amazon is not responsible for collecting, remitting or reporting any service tax, VAT / CST, goods and services tax or other taxes arising from such sale. You are solely responsible for preparing, making and filing any tax audit report and statutory reports and other filings and responding to any tax or financial audits.Unless stated otherwise, any and all fees payable by you pursuant to this Agreement are exclusive of all value added, service, sales, use, goods and services tax and other similar taxes, and you will pay any taxes that are imposed and payable on such amounts. If we are required by law or by administration thereof to collect any value added, service, sales, use, goods and services tax or similar taxes from you, you will pay such taxes to us. You will provide all necessary information including goods and services tax registered address, registration numbers, invoice mismatch details in a timely manner, to enable us to provide, report or correct goods and services tax invoices. Based on information provided, Amazon will deduce the location of recipient, the billing details, place of supply and applicable taxes.If for any reason, any income tax or withholding tax or tax collection at source or such other taxes under applicable Law are determined to be deducted and deposited on any payments or remittances to you, Amazon will have the right to deduct and deposit any such applicable taxes with the appropriate regulatory authority. No claim in respect of the taxes deposited would be made by you against Amazon.It is your responsibility as a seller on the Amazon Site to choose the most applicable product tax codes and assign Harmonized System of Nomenclature / Service accounting Code applicable for your listing, such that the correct tax rate is applied on all listings offered for sale by you. If we determine that you are not in compliance with this section, then we may suspend the services provided to you on the Amazon Site.For reporting transactions undertaken by you on the Amazon Site, you should consider the Merchant Tax Report (MTR) made available to you on Seller Central.In case of any discrepancy in the reporting / returns filed by you and Amazon, you agree that you will resolve such discrepancy immediately and indemnify Amazon against any tax, interest and penalty payable in this regard.**11. Confidentiality and Personal Data**During the course of your use of the Services, you may receive Confidential Information. You agree that for the term of the Agreement and 8 years after termination: (a) all Confidential Information will remain Amazon's exclusive property except for customer personal data owned by the respective customer; (b) you will use Confidential Information only as is reasonably necessary for your participation in the Services and ensure that persons who have access to Confidential Information will be made aware of and will comply with the obligations in this provision; and (c) you will not, and will cause your affiliates not to, directly or indirectly (including through a third party) otherwise disclose Confidential Information to any individual, company, or other third party, including any Affiliates, except as required to comply with law; (d) you will take all reasonable measures to protect the Confidential Information against any use or disclosure that is not expressly permitted in this Agreement; and (e) you will retain Confidential Information only for so long as its use is necessary for participation in the Services or to fulfill your statutory obligations (e.g. tax) and in all cases will delete such information upon termination or as soon as no longer required for the fulfilment of statutory obligations. The foregoing sentence does not restrict your right to share Confidential Information with a governmental entity that has jurisdiction over you, provided that you limit the disclosure to the minimum necessary and explicitly indicate the confidential nature of the shared information to the governmental entity. You may not issue any press release or make any public statement related to the Services, or use our name, trademarks or logo in any way (including in promotional material) without our advance written permission, or misrepresent or embellish the relationship between us in any way. You may only use the Amazon Mark as defined in and according to the Trademark Usage Guidelines available in Seller Central; you may not use our name, trademarks, or logos in any way (including in promotional material) not covered by the Trademark Usage Guidelines without our advance written permission.You may not use any customer personal data (including contact information) for any purpose other than fulfilling orders or providing customer service in connection with a Service. Generally, you may not use such data in any way inconsistent with applicable law. You must keep customer personal data confidential at all time (the above 8 years’ term limit does not apply to customer personal data).**12. Force Majeure**We will not be liable for any delay or failure to perform any of our obligations under this Agreement by reasons, events or other matters beyond our reasonable control.**13. Relationship of Parties**You and we are independent contractors, and nothing in this Agreement will be construed to create a partnership, joint venture, association of persons, agency, franchise, sales representative, or employment relationship between the parties. Amazon is not an auctioneer, neither is it an intermediary between the customer and the seller. You will have no authority to make or accept any offers or representations on our behalf. You will not make any statement, whether on your site or otherwise, that would contradict anything in this section. This Agreement will not create an exclusive relationship between you and us.**14. Suggestions and Other Information**If you or any of your Affiliates elect to provide or make available suggestions, comments, ideas, improvements, or other feedback or materials to us in connection with or related to the Amazon Site or Services (including any related Technology), you will, to the extent necessary and authorized by law, irrevocably grant to us, a royalty-free and worldwide license on all right, title, and interest in and to the suggestions for the duration of protection of the underlying rights. In order to cooperate with governmental requests, to protect our systems and customers, or to ensure the integrity and operation of our business and systems, we may access and disclose any information we consider necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to user contact details, IP addresses and traffic information, usage history and posted content.**15. Modification**We will provide at least 15 days’ advance notice in accordance with Section 17 for changes to the Agreement.However, we may change or modify the Agreement at any time with immediate effect (a) for legal, regulatory, fraud and abuse prevention, or security reasons; (b) to change existing features or add additional features to the Services (where this does not materially adversely affect your use of the Services); or (c) to restrict products or activities that we deem unsafe, inappropriate, or offensive. We will notify you about any change or modification in accordance with Section 17.Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of any change to this Agreement in accordance with this Section 15 will constitute your acceptance of that change. If any change is unacceptable to you, you agree not to use the Services and to end the Agreement as described in Section 3.**16. Password Security**Any password we provide to you may be used only during the Term to access Your Account or Seller Central, respectively, (or other tools we provide) to use the Service, electronically accept Your Transactions, and review your completed transactions. You are solely responsible for maintaining the security of your password. You may not disclose your password to any third party (other than third parties authorized by you to use Your Account in accordance with this Agreement) and are solely responsible for any use of or action taken under your password. If your password is compromised, you must immediately change your password.**17. Miscellaneous**This Agreement will be governed by the laws of India, without reference to rules governing choice of laws or the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. The laws of India govern this Agreement and your use of the Services, without reference to rules governing choice of laws or the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Any dispute or claim of any nature relating in any way to your use of any Services covered under this Agreement will be adjudicated through arbitration, by a sole arbitrator to be appointed by Amazon. The arbitral proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the (Indian) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 or such statutory amendments thereof (“Arbitration Act”). The arbitration proceedings will be conducted in English and the venue of the arbitral proceedings shall be Delhi, India. Each party agrees that courts in Delhi will have the sole and exclusive jurisdiction over all arbitral applications. The fast track procedures under the Arbitration Act will apply to all proceedings as stipulated.You may not transfer or assign all or any portion of this Agreement, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. Any attempt to assign or otherwise transfer in violation of this section is void provided, however, that upon notice to Amazon, you may assign or transfer this Agreement, in whole or in part, to any of your Affiliates as long as you remain liable for your obligations that arose prior to the effective date of the assignment or transfer under this Agreement. You agree that we may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under this Agreement: (a) in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition or sale of all or substantially all of our assets or similar transaction;, or (b) to any Affiliate or as part of a corporate reorganization; and effective upon such assignment, the assignee is deemed substituted for Amazon as the party to this Agreement. Subject to that restriction, this Agreement will be binding on, inure to, and be enforceable against the parties and their respective successors and assigns. We may perform any of our obligations or exercise any of our rights under this Agreement through one or more of our Affiliates. Our failure to enforce your strict performance of any provision of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce such provision or any other provision of this Agreement subsequently.Amazon retains the right to immediately halt any transaction, prevent or restrict access to the Services or take any other action to restrict access to or availability of any inaccurate listing, any inappropriately categorized items, any unlawful items, or any items otherwise prohibited by the applicable Program Policies.The authentic language of this Agreement and subsidiary or associated documentation shall be English and any translations provided are for convenience only. In the event of any conflict or difference in interpretation between the English language version of this Agreement and subsidiary or associated documentation and any translation of them, the English language version and interpretation shall prevail.You agree that we may, in our sole discretion, disclose or make available any information provided or submitted by you or related to your participation under this Agreement (including information regarding Your Products or Your Transactions) to any judicial, quasi-judicial, governmental, regulatory or any other authority as may be required by us to co-operate and / or comply with any of their orders, instructions or directions or to fulfil any requirements under applicable Laws.Amazon will provide notice to you under this Agreement by posting changes on Seller Central or on the applicable Amazon Services site to which the changes relate (such as the Marketplace Developer site accessible through your account), by sending you an email notification, or by similar means. You must send all notices and other communications relating to Amazon to our Selling Partner Support team via Seller Central, email, the Contact Us form, or similar means. We may also communicate with you in connection with your listings, sales, and the Services electronically and in other media, and you consent to such communications. For contractual purposes, you consent to receive such communications through any mode including SMS, e-mail, phone calls etc. If at any time, now or in the future, you decide to change your preferences, visit the Seller Central Notification Preferences page via Amazon (Amazon) and follow the steps.You may change your e-mail addresses or phone numbers via Your Account. Please update these details (including your legal name and address) as often as necessary to ensure that they are accurate.Please continue to use Seller Central as the primary means of managing your orders and seller account. If any provision of this Agreement is deemed unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision will be deemed severable from these terms and conditions and will not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. This Agreement represents the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the Services and related subject matter described herein and supersedes any previous or contemporaneous oral or written agreements and understandings.**Definitions**As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:**"Affiliate"** means with respect to any entity, any other entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such entity, except with respect to Amazon, "Affiliate" means solely its Affiliates domiciled in India.**"Amazon Associated Properties"** means any website or other online point of presence, other than the Amazon Site, through which any Amazon Site or products or services available thereon are syndicated, offered, merchandised, advertised or described.**"Amazon Site"** means Online Shopping site in India: Shop Online for Mobiles, Books, Watches, Shoes and More (Online Shopping site in India: Shop Online for Mobiles, Books, Watches, Shoes and More).**"Business Days"** means any day of the week (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) on which commercial banks are open for business in New Delhi, India; Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Luxembourg; and the Republic of Singapore.**“Confidential Information"** means information relating to us, to the Services or Amazon customers that is not known to the general public including, but not limited to, any information identifying or unique to specific customers; reports, insights, and other information about the Services, data derived from the Services except for data (other than customer personal data) arising from the sale of your products comprising of products sold, prices, sales, volumes and time of the transaction; and technical or operational specifications relating to the Services. For the purposes of this Agreement, customer personal data constitutes Confidential Information at all times.**"Content"** means copyrightable works and other content protected under applicable Laws.**"Excluded Products"** means any products or other items set forth in the excluded products list for the Amazon Site or any other Amazon Program Policy that applies to your use of a Service, and any other products or other items that in Amazon's sole discretion are not supported for a Service.**"Insurance Limits"** means INR 5,00,00,000**"Insurance Threshold"** means INR 5,00,000**"Intellectual Property Rights"** means any patent, copyright, Trademark, moral right, trade secret right or any other intellectual property right arising under any Laws and all ancillary and related rights, including all rights of registration and renewal and causes of action for violation, misappropriation or infringement of any of the foregoing.**"Law(s)"** means any law, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, licence, permit, judgment, decision or other requirement, now or hereafter in effect, of any governmental authority of competent jurisdiction.**"Local Currency"** means Indian Rupees (INR).**"Order Information"** means, with respect to any of Your Products sold through the Amazon Site, the order information and shipping information that we provide or make available to you.**"Person"** means any individual, company, corporation, partnership, limited liability partnership, governmental authority, association, joint venture, division or other cognizable entity, whether or not having distinct legal existence.**"Program Policies"** means, all policies and program terms provided on the ‘Policies and Agreements’ (Programme Policies) page.**"Purchase Price"** means the total gross amount payable or paid by a customer for Your Product (including taxes and customs duties).**"Sales Proceeds"** means the gross sales proceeds paid by customers in the course of any of Your Transactions, including the Purchase Price, all shipping and handling, gift wrap and other charges, any taxes and customs duties.**"Seller Central"** means the online portal and tools made available by Amazon to you, for your use in managing your orders, inventory and presence on the Amazon Site.**"Service"** means each of the following services that Amazon makes available on or in connection with the Amazon Site: the Selling on Amazon Service, Fulfilment by Amazon Service and Amazon Advertising.**"Service Terms"** means the service terms specific to each Service set forth herein and made a part of this Agreement upon the date you elect to register for the applicable Service.**"Technology"** means any: (a) ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles and discoveries protected or protectable under the Laws of any jurisdiction; (b) interfaces, protocols, glossaries, libraries, structured XML formats, specifications, grammars, data formats, or other similar materials; and (c) software, hardware, code, technology or other functional item.**"Trademark"** means any trademark, service mark, trade dress (including any proprietary "look and feel"), trade name, other proprietary logo or insignia or other source or business identifier, protected or protectable under applicable Laws.**"Your Account"** means the particular account in our systems, in which information about Your Transactions is recorded, and which is one of the online portals and tools which Amazon may make available to you, for your use in managing your orders, inventory and presence on the Amazon Site.**"Your Materials"** means all Technology, Your Trademarks, Content, Required Product Information, data, materials, and other items provided or made available by you or your Affiliates to Amazon or its Affiliates.**"Your Product"** means any product that is made available for listing for sale, offered for sale or sold by you through the Selling on Amazon Service and/or fulfilled or otherwise processed through the Fulfilment by Amazon Service in connection with Your Account, or made available for advertising by you through Amazon Advertising.**"Your Sales Channels"** means all sales channels and other means through which you or any of your Affiliates offer or sell products, other than physical stores.**"Your Taxes"** means any and all value added, service, sales, use, excise, import, export, goods and services tax and other taxes and duties assessed, incurred or required to be collected or paid for any reason in connection with any advertisement, offer or sale of products by you on or through or in connection with the Services, or otherwise in connection with any action, inaction or omission of you or your Affiliates or your or their respective employees, agents, contractors or representatives. Also, as it is used in the Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms, this defined term also means any of the types of taxes mentioned above that are imposed on or collectible by Amazon or any of its Affiliates in connection with or as a result of: (a) the storage of inventory, packaging, Your Products and other materials owned by you and stored by Amazon; or (b) the fulfilment, shipping, gift wrapping or other actions by Amazon to Your Products pursuant to the Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms.**"Your Trademarks"** means Trademarks of yours that you provide to us: (a) in non-text form for branding purposes; and (b) separate from (and not embedded or otherwise incorporated in) any product specific information or materials.**"Your Transaction"** means any sale of Your Product(s) through the Amazon Site.**Selling on Amazon Service Terms**The Selling on Amazon Service ("**Selling on Amazon**") is a Service that allows you to list products for sale directly via the Amazon Site. Selling on Amazon is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Limited. These Selling on Amazon Service Terms are part of the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement ("**Business Solutions Agreement**"), but, unless specifically provided otherwise, concern and apply only to your participation in Selling on Amazon. BY REGISTERING FOR OR USING SELLING ON AMAZON, YOU (ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF OR THE BUSINESS YOU REPRESENT) AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS AGREEMENT (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#BSA) AND THESE SELLING ON AMAZON SERVICE TERMS. Unless defined in these Selling on Amazon Service Terms (including the Selling on Amazon Definitions (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#Definitions)), all capitalized terms have the meanings given them in the Business Solutions Agreement.**S-1. Your Product Listings and Orders****S-1.1 Products and Product Information.** You will, in accordance with applicable Program Policies, provide accurate and complete Required Product Information for each product that you make available to be listed for sale through the Amazon Site and promptly update such information as necessary to ensure it at all times remains accurate and complete. You will also ensure that Your Materials, Your Products (including packaging) and your offer and subsequent sale of any of the same on the Amazon Site comply with all applicable Laws (including all marking and labeling requirements) and do not contain any sexually explicit, defamatory or obscene materials or any unlawful materials. You may not provide any information for, or otherwise seek to list for sale on the Amazon Site, any Excluded Products; or provide any URL Marks for use, or request that any URL Marks be used, on the Amazon Site. For each item you list on the Amazon Site, you will provide to us the state or country from which the item ships.**S-1.2 Product Listing; Merchandising; Order Processing.** We will list Your Products for sale on the Amazon Site in the applicable product categories which are supported for third party sellers generally on the Amazon Site on the applicable Selling on Amazon Launch Date, and conduct merchandising and promote Your Products in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement (including via the Amazon Associated Properties or any other functions, features, advertising, or programs on or in connection with the Amazon Site). Amazon reserves its right to restrict at any time in its sole discretion the access to list in any or all categories on the Amazon Site. We may use mechanisms that rate, or allow shoppers to rate, Your Products and/or your performance as a seller on the Amazon Site and Amazon may make these ratings and feedback publicly available. We will provide Order Information to you for each of Your Transactions. Sales Proceeds will be paid to you only in accordance with Section S-5.**S-1.3 Shipping and Handling Charges.** For Seller-Fulfilled Products, you will determine shipping and handling charges via and subject to our standard functionality and categorizations for the Amazon Site and further subject to any shipping and handling charge Program Policies for the Amazon Site. Any such amounts, paid by the customer towards shipping and handling charges, shall be your proceeds, subject to deduction of applicable charges as may be determined by us and you are solely responsible for reporting and remitting any applicable taxes on the shipping and handling charges. For Amazon-Fulfilled Products, Amazon will determine what the shipping fees will be and will display and collect them accordingly in accordance with the Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms.**S-1.4 Credit Card Fraud.** We will bear the risk of credit card fraud (i.e. a fraudulent purchase arising from the theft and unauthorized use of a third party's credit card information) occurring in connection with Your Transactions, and you will bear all other risk of fraud or loss; provided, that we will not bear the risk of credit card fraud in connection with any Seller-Fulfilled Product that is not fulfilled strictly in accordance with the Order Information and Shipment Information.**S-2. Sale and Fulfilment, Refunds and Returns****S-2.1 Sale and Fulfilment.** Other than as described in the Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms (if applicable to you), or as provided in any applicable Service Terms or Program Policies, for the Amazon Site for which you decide to register or use the Selling on Amazon Service, you will: (a) source, sell, fulfil, ship and deliver your Seller-Fulfilled Products, and source and sell your Amazon-Fulfilled Products, in each case in accordance with the terms of the applicable Order Information, these Service Terms and the Agreement, and all terms provided by you and displayed on the Amazon Site at the time of the order and be solely responsible for and bear all risk for such activities; (b) package each of Your Products in a commercially reasonable manner and ship each of Your Products on or before its Estimated Ship Date; (c) retrieve Order Information at least once each Business Day; (d) not cancel any of Your Transactions except as may be permitted pursuant to your terms and conditions appearing on the Amazon Site at the time of the applicable order (which terms and conditions will be in accordance with this Agreement) or as may be required under this Agreement; (e) ship Your Products throughout India (except to the extent prohibited by applicable Law or this Agreement); (f) provide to Amazon information regarding shipment and order status and tracking (to the extent available), in each case as requested by us using the processes designated by us, and we may make any of this information publicly available; (g) comply with all Street Date instructions; (h) notwithstanding any other provision of these Service Terms, ensure that you are the seller of all products made available for listing for sale hereunder; (i) include an order-specific packing slip within each shipment of Your Products; (j) identify yourself as the seller of the product on all packing slips or other information included with Your Products and as the Person to which a customer may return the applicable product; and (k) not send customers emails confirming orders or shipments of Your Products (except that to the extent we have not yet enabled functionality for Your Account that allows payment to be processed on the basis of when shipment occurs, then you will send customers emails confirming shipment of Your Products in a format and manner reasonably acceptable to us). For Amazon-Fulfilled Products, if any, the Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms will apply to the storage, fulfilment and delivery of such Amazon-Fulfilled Products.**S-2.2 Returns and Refunds.** For all of Your Products that are not fulfilled using Fulfilment by Amazon, you will accept and process returns, refunds and adjustments in accordance with these Service Terms and the Amazon Refund Policies published at the time of the applicable order, and we may inform customers that these policies apply to Your Products. You will determine and calculate the amount of all refunds and adjustments (including any taxes, shipping and handling or other charges) or other amounts to be paid by you to customers in connection with Your Transactions, using a functionality we enable for Your Account. This functionality may be modified or discontinued by us at any time without notice and is subject to the Program Policies and the terms of this Business Solutions Agreement. You will route all such payments through Amazon. We will provide any such payments to the customer (which may be in the same payment form originally used to purchase Your Product), and you will reimburse us for all amounts so paid. For all of Your Products that are fulfilled using Fulfilment by Amazon, the Amazon Refund Policies published at the time of the applicable order will apply and you will comply with them. You will promptly provide refunds and adjustments that you are obligated to provide under the applicable Amazon Refund Policies and as required by Law, and in no case later than thirty (30) calendar days following after the obligation arises. For the purposes of making payments to the customer (which may be in the same payment form originally used to purchase Your Product), you authorize us to make such payments or disbursements from your available balance in the Nodal Account (as defined in Section S-5). In the event your balance in the Nodal Account is insufficient to process the refund request, we will process such amounts due to the customer on your behalf, and you will reimburse us for all amounts so paid.**S-3. Problems with Your Products****S-3.1 Delivery Errors and Nonconformities; Recalls.** You are responsible for: any non-delivery, misdelivery, theft or other mistake or act in connection with the fulfilment and delivery of Your Products, except to the extent caused by: (a) credit card fraud for which we are responsible under *Section S-1.4*; or (b) our failure to make available to you Order Information as it was received by us or resulting from address verification. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, for Amazon-Fulfilled Products, if any, the Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms will apply to non-delivery, misdelivery, theft or other mistake or act in connection with the fulfilment and delivery of those of Your Products. You are also responsible for any non-conformity or defect in, or any public or private recall of, any of Your Products. You will notify us promptly as soon as you have knowledge of any public or private recalls of Your Products.**S-3.2 A-to-z Guarantee and Chargebacks.** If we inform you that we have received a claim under the "A-to-z Guarantee" offered on the Amazon Site, or other dispute, relating to the offer, sale or fulfillment of Your Product(s) (other than a chargeback) concerning one of Your Transactions, you will have 30 days to appeal our decision of the claim. If we find that a claim, chargeback, or dispute is your responsibility, you (i) will not take recourse against the customer, and (ii) are responsible for reimbursing us for the amount paid by the customer (including taxes and shipping and handling charges, but excluding any Referral Fees that we retained as defined in Section S-4), and all other fees and expenses associated with the original transaction (such as credit card, bank, payment processing, re-presentment, or penalty fees) and any related chargebacks or refunds to the extent payable by us.**S-4. Compensation**You will pay us: (a) the applicable Referral Fee; (b) any applicable Closing Fees; and (c) if applicable, the non-refundable Selling on Amazon Subscription Fee in advance for each month (or for each transaction, if applicable) during the Term of this Agreement. "**Selling on Amazon Subscription Fee**" means the fee specified as such on the Selling on Amazon Fee Schedule (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/200557190?ref=ag_200557190_cont_G1791&language=en_IN) for the Amazon Site at the time such fee is payable. With respect to each of Your Transactions: (x) **"Sales Proceeds"** has the meaning set out in the Business Solutions Agreement; (y) **"Closing Fees"** means the applicable fee, if any, as specified in the Selling on Amazon Fee Schedule (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/200557190?ref=ag_200557190_cont_G1791&language=en_IN) for the Amazon Site; and (z) **"Referral Fee"** means the applicable percentage of the Sales Proceeds from Your Transaction through the Amazon Site specified on the Selling on Amazon Fee Schedule (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/200557190?ref=ag_200557190_cont_G1791&language=en_IN) for the Amazon Site at the time of Your Transaction, based on the categorization by Amazon of the type of product that is the subject of Your Transaction; provided, however, that Sales Proceeds will not include any shipping charge set by us in the case of Your Transactions that consist solely of Amazon-Fulfilled Products. Except as provided otherwise, all monetary amounts contemplated in these Service Terms will be expressed and provided in the Local Currency, and all payments contemplated by this Agreement will be made in the Local Currency.All taxes or surcharges imposed on fees payable by you to Amazon will be your responsibility.**S-5 Sales Proceeds & Refunds.****S-5.1.Nodal Account.** Remittances to you for Your Transactions (excluding COD transactions) will be made through a nodal account (the "**Nodal Account**") in accordance with the directions issued by Reserve Bank of India for the opening and operation of accounts and settlement of payments for electronic payment transactions involving intermediaries vide its notification RBI/2009-10/231 http://DPSS.CO.PD.No (http://DPSS.CO.PD.No).1102 / 02.14.08/ 2009-10 dated November 24, 2009. Remittance to you for COD transactions shall be made through the online bank or any other mutually agreed and other means used to transfer to Your Bank Account. You hereby agree and authorize us to collect payments on your behalf from customers for any sales made through the COD mechanism. You authorize and permit us to collect and disclose any information (which may include personal or sensitive information such as Your Bank Account information) made available to us in connection with this Agreement to a bank, auditor, processing agency, or third party contracted by us in connection with this Agreement.Subject to and without limiting any of the rights described in Section 2 of the General Terms, we may hold back a portion or your Sale Proceeds as a separate reserve ("**Reserve**"). The Reserve will be in an amount as determined by us and the Reserve will be used only for the purpose of settling the future claims of customers in the event of non-fulfilment of delivery to the customers of your Products keeping in mind the period for refunds and chargebacks.**S-5.2.** Except as otherwise stated in this Agreement (including without limitation Section 2 of the General Terms), you authorize us and we will remit the Settlement Amount to Your Bank Account on the Payment Date in respect of an Eligible Transaction. When you either initially provide or later change Your Bank Account information, the Payment Date will be deferred for a period of up to 14 calendar days. You will not have the ability to initiate or cause payments to be made to you. If you refund money to a customer in connection with one of Your Transactions in accordance with Section S-2.2, on the next available Designated Day for Amazon Site, we will credit you with the amount of the Referral Fee paid by you to us attributable to the amount of the customer refund, less the Refund Administration Fee for each refund, which amount we may retain as an administrative fee."**Eligible Transaction**" means Your Transaction against which the actual shipment date has been confirmed by you."**Designated Day**" means any particular Business Day of the week designated by Amazon on a weekly basis, in its sole discretion, for making remittances to you."**Payment Date**" means the Designated Day falling immediately after 14 calendar days (or less in our sole discretion) of the Eligible Transaction."**Settlement Amount**" means Sales Proceeds (which you will accept as payment in full for the sale and shipping and handling of Your Products), less: (a) the Referral Fees due for such sums; (b) any Selling on Amazon Subscription Fees due; (c) taxes required to be charged by us on our fees; (d) any refunds due to customers in connection with the Amazon Site; (e) Reserves, as may be applicable, as per this Agreement; (f) Closing Fees, if applicable; (g) any other applicable fee prescribed under the Program Policies (including fee payable under the FBA Fee Schedule for Amazon Site), if applicable; and (h)tax collected at source under applicable Law.**S-5.3.** In the event that we elect not to recover from you a customer's chargeback, failed payment, or other payment reversal (a "**Payment Failure**"), you irrevocably assign to us all your rights, title and interest in and associated with that Payment Failure.**S-6. Amazon’s Marketplace, Websites and Services**Amazon has the right to determine, the design, content, functionality, availability and appropriateness of its marketplace, websites, selection and any product or listing on the Amazon Site or the Amazon Associated Properties, and all aspects of each Service, including your use of the same. Amazon may assign any of these rights or delegate any of its responsibilities.**S-7. Tax Matters**In addition to the General Terms, you agree that, the price stated by you for Your Products is inclusive of all taxes including VAT/CST, customs duty, excise duty or other tax or levy that may be required to be remitted in connection with such sale, unless otherwise provided in any Program Policy or otherwise agreed by Amazon in advance in writing.All payments by Amazon to you shall be made subject to applicable withholding taxes under applicable Governing Laws. Amazon will retain, in addition to its net fees together with any applicable taxes that Amazon determines, as it is obligated to charge or collect on the fees, an amount equal to applicable withholding taxes.If you are required deposit withholding tax in the form and manner as prescribed under applicable Governing laws, you will issue an appropriate tax withholding certificate for such amount to Amazon.You may submit a reimbursement claim with a valid tax withholding certificate in Form 16A within one month from the due date of issuance of Form 16A as per statutory timelines. Amazon shall reimburse the claim post verification and reconciliation with service fee as per books of accounts. Amazon will have right to reject the claim if the claimed amount does not match with service fees invoices. Amazon shall maintain the right to recover any excessive claims paid to you.Amazon has the option to obtain an order for lower or NIL withholding tax from the Indian Revenue authorities. In case Amazon successfully procures such an order, it will communicate the same to you. In that case, the amounts retained shall be in accordance with the directions contained in the order as in force at the point in time when tax is required to be deducted at the source.**Selling on Amazon Definitions****"Amazon-Fulfilled Products"** means any of Your Products that are fulfilled using the Fulfilment by Amazon Service.**"Amazon Refund Policies"** means the return and refund policies published on the Amazon Site.**"Estimated Ship Date"** means, with respect to any of Your Products, either: (a) the end of the shipping availability period (which begins as of the date on which the relevant order is placed by the customer), or the shipping availability date, as applicable, specified by you in the relevant inventory/product data feed for Your Product on the Amazon Site; or (b) if you do not specify shipping availability information in such inventory/product data feed or Your Product is in a product category that Amazon designates as requiring shipment within two (2) days (excluding Sundays and public holidays), (2) days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) after the date on which the relevant order is placed by the customer.**"Refund Administration Fee"** means the lesser of INR 300 or twenty percent (20%) of the applicable Referral Fee.**"Required Product Information"** means, with respect to each of Your Products in connection with the Amazon Site, the following (except to the extent expressly not required under the applicable Program Policies): (a) description; (b) SKU and EAN/UPC numbers and other identifying information as Amazon may reasonably request; (c) information regarding in-stock status and availability, shipping limitations or requirements, and Shipment Information (in each case, in accordance with any categorizations prescribed by Amazon from time to time); (d) categorization within each Amazon product category and browse structure as prescribed by Amazon from time to time; (e) digitized image that accurately depicts only Your Product and does not include any additional logos, text or other markings (and that complies with any Amazon published image guidelines); (f) Purchase Price; (g) shipping and handling charge (in accordance with our standard functionality therefor); (h) any text, disclaimers, warnings, notices, labels or other content required by applicable Law to be displayed in connection with the offer, merchandising, advertising or sale of Your Product; (i) any vendor requirements, restocking fees or other terms and conditions applicable to such product that a customer should be aware of prior to purchasing the product; (j) brand; (k) model; (l) product dimensions; (m) weight; (n) a delimited list of technical specifications; (o) SKU and EAN/UPC numbers (and other identifying information as we may reasonably request) for accessories related to Your Product that is available in our catalogue; and (p) any other information reasonably requested by us (e.g., the condition of used or refurbished products, Harmonized System of Nomenclature / Service Accounting Code).**"Seller-Fulfilled Products"** means any of Your Products that are not fulfilled using the Fulfilment by Amazon Service.**"Selling on Amazon Launch Date"** means the date on which we first list one of Your Products for sale on the Amazon Site.**"Shipment Information"** means, with respect to any of Your Products, the estimated or promised shipment and/or delivery date.**"Street Date"** means the date(s), if any, specified by the manufacturer, distributor and/or licensor of a product as the date before which specified information regarding such product (e.g., title of a book) should not be disclosed publicly, or such product should not be delivered or otherwise made available to customers.**"URL Marks"** means any Trademark, or any other logo, name, phrase, identifier or character string, that contains or incorporates any top level domain (e.g., .com, http://co.in (http://co.in), http://co.uk (http://co.uk), .in, .de, .es, .edu, .fr, .jp) or any variation thereof (e.g., dot com, dotcom, net, or com).**"Your Transaction"** is defined in the Business Solutions Agreement; however, as used in these Service Terms, it shall mean any and all such transactions through Selling on Amazon only.**Fulfilment by Amazon Service Terms**Fulfilment by Amazon ("**FBA**") provides fulfilment and associated services for Your Products. FBA is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Limited.These FBA Service Terms are part of the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement ("**Business Solutions Agreement**"), and, unless specifically provided otherwise, concern and apply only to your participation in FBA. BY REGISTERING FOR OR USING FBA, YOU (ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF OR THE BUSINESS YOU REPRESENT) AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS AGREEMENT (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/G1791#BSA) AND THESE FBA SERVICE TERMS. Unless defined in these FBA Service Terms, all capitalized terms are as defined in the Business Solutions Agreement.**F.1. Your Products**Once you are accepted into FBA, you must apply to register each product you sell that you wish to include in the FBA program in connection with the Amazon Site. You may not include any product in the FBA program which is a FBA Excluded Product for the Amazon Site you wish to register Your Product with. We may refuse registration in FBA of any product in connection with the Amazon Site, including on the basis that it is an FBA Excluded Product or that it violates applicable Program Policies. You may at any time withdraw registration of any of Your Products from FBA in connection with the Amazon Site.**F.2. Product and Shipping Information**You will, in accordance with applicable Program Policies, provide in the format we require accurate and complete information about Your Products registered in FBA (including Harmonized System of Nomenclature / Service accounting Code, if applicable). You will promptly update any information about Your Products in accordance with our requirements and as necessary so that the information is at all times accurate and complete.**F.3. Shipping to Amazon****F.3.1.** For the Amazon Site you register Units in connection with, such Units will be delivered to customers in India only. You will ship Units to us in accordance with applicable Program Policies for the Amazon Site Your Products are registered in connection with. You will ensure that: (a) all Units are properly packaged for protection against damage and deterioration during shipment and storage; (b) terms of freight "C.I.P. (Carriage and Insurance Paid) Destination"; and (c) all Units comply with Amazon's labelling and other requirements. You will be responsible for all costs incurred to ship the Units to the shipping destination (including costs of freight and transit insurance). You will prepay all such shipping costs and Amazon will not pay any shipping costs except as provided in *Section F-3.2*. You are responsible for payment of all duties, custom duty, taxes and other charges. If you ship Units to a Site Fulfilment Centre from outside of India, you will list yourself as the importer/consignee and nominate a customs broker. If Amazon is listed on any import documentation, Amazon reserves the right to refuse to accept any Units covered by the import documents and any costs assessed against or incurred by Amazon will be collected by any means permitted by this Agreement. In the case of any improperly packaged or labelled Unit, we may return the Unit to you at your expense (pursuant to *Section F-7*).**F.3.2.** You will not deliver to us any Unsuitable Unit, and we may refuse to accept any shipment (including any Unsuitable Unit). We may return or dispose of or destroy any Unsuitable Unit as provided in Section F-7 (and you will be deemed to have consented to such action): (a) immediately if we determine in our sole discretion that the Unit creates a safety, health or liability risk to Amazon, our personnel or any third party; or (b) if you fail to direct us to return or dispose of or destroy any Unsuitable Unit within thirty (30) days after we notify you that the Unit has been recalled; or (c) except as otherwise provided in this Section F-3.2, if you refuse or fail to direct us to return or dispose of or destroy any Unsuitable Unit within thirty (30) calendar days after we notify you that we are in possession of it. In addition, you will compensate us for any damages incurred including any expenses we incur in connection with any Unsuitable Units.**F.4. Storage**We will provide storage services as described in these FBA Service Terms once we confirm receipt of delivery. We will keep electronic records that track inventory of Units by identifying the number of Units stored in any Site Fulfilment Centre. We will not be required to physically mark Units. If there is a loss of or damage to any Units while we store them due to any breach of contractual obligation / non-performance of obligations by us causing such loss or damage, we will, pay you the applicable replacement value ((as described in the FBA Lost and Damaged Inventory Reimbursement Policy (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/help.html/?itemID=G200213130&ref_=xx_G200213130_a_r0_cont_sgsearch)*)*. Payment of the replacement value is our total liability for any duties or obligations that we or our agents or representatives may have as a bailee or warehouseman, and your only right or remedy that you may have as a bailor. The replacement value is inclusive of any VAT/CST/good and services tax (as applicable) and if the replacement value is subject to VAT/CST/goods and services tax, you agree to provide a valid VAT/CST/goods and services tax invoice to Amazon. In consideration of payment of the replacement value, the title in such Units will transfer to us and we will be entitled to dispose of, destroy or otherwise deal in such Units in any manner that we deem fit. You will have no security interest, lien or other claim to the proceeds that we receive from sale, disposal of or otherwise in connection with such Units. At all other times, you will be solely responsible for any loss of, or damage to, any Units. Our confirmed receipt of delivery does not: (a) indicate or imply that any Unit has been delivered free of loss or damage, or that any loss or damage to any Unit later discovered occurred after confirmed receipt of delivery; (b) indicate or imply that we actually received the number of Units of Your Product(s) specified by you for such shipment; or (c) waive, limit or reduce any of our rights under this Business Solutions Agreement. We reserve the right to change, scheduling restrictions and volume limitations on the delivery and storage of your inventory in the Site Fulfilment Centres in accordance with Section 14, and you will comply with any of these restrictions or limitations.**F.5. Fulfilment**We will ship Units from our inventory of Your Products in connection with the Amazon Site to the shipping addresses in India included in valid customer orders. We may ship Units together with products purchased from other merchants.**F.6. Customer Returns****F.6.1.** We will receive and process returns of any Amazon Fulfilment Units in accordance with the terms of your Seller Agreement, these FBA Service Terms and the Program Policies for the Amazon Site. Any Sellable Units registered in connection with the Amazon Site that are also Amazon Fulfilment Units and that are properly returned will be placed back into the inventory of Your Products in the FBA Program for the Amazon Site. We may fulfil customer orders for Your Products in connection with the Amazon Site with any Amazon Fulfilment Units returned in connection with the Amazon Site. Except as provided in *Section F-7*, you will retake title of all Units that are returned by customers.**F.6.2.** Except as provided in Section F-7, we will, at your direction, either return or dispose of or destroy any Amazon Fulfilment Unit that is returned to us and that we determine is an Unsuitable Unit as provided in Section F-7. Without limitation of our rights under Section F-7.4, we may elect to return or dispose of or destroy that Unsuitable Unit as provided in Section F-7, and you will be deemed to have consented to our election if you fail to direct us to return or dispose of or destroy the Unsuitable Unit within thirty (30) calendar days after we notify you of the Unsuitable Unit.**F.6.3.** You will be responsible for all tax obligations including but not limited to VAT/CST, sales, service and goods and services taxes as result of any returns.**F.7. Returns to You and Disposal****F.7.1.** You may, at any time, request that Units be returned to you. We may, with notice, return Units to you, including upon termination of these Service Terms. These returned shipments will be sent to your designated shipping address in the territory in which the applicable Site Fulfilment Centre is located (or, at Amazon's sole discretion, your designated shipping address within India. If the address we have for you in connection with the Amazon Site is outdated, incorrect or outside India or if we cannot make arrangements for you to pay for the return shipment, the Unit(s) will be deemed abandoned and we may elect to dispose of or destroy the Unit(s) as appropriate based on the inventory and, subject to any replacement or reimbursement done as required under applicable law, this Agreement and our Program Policies, retain any proceeds we may receive from the disposal. You agree that any proceeds we may receive from the disposal are fair and reasonable compensation for any costs we incur in connection with the disposal.. For all Units that are returned to you, you are solely responsible for issuing any statutory forms or other documents, including but not limited to invoices, stock transfer forms, delivery challans etc., required to return the Units back to you. You are also solely responsible for dealing with clearing the Units from any checkposts.**F.7.2.** You may, at any time, request that we dispose of or destroy Units. In this case, we may dispose of or destroy these Units as appropriate based on the inventory. Subject to Section F.4 above, title to each disposed or destroyed Unit will transfer to us at no cost, free and clear of any liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances to the extent required to dispose of or destroy the Unit, and we may, subject to any replacement or reimbursement done as required under applicable law, this Agreement and our Program Policies, retain all proceeds, if any, received from the disposal of any Unit.**F.7.3.** You will promptly notify us of any recalls or threatened recalls of any of Your Products and cooperate and assist us in connection with any recalls, including by initiating the procedures for returning items to you under our standard processes. You will be responsible for all costs and expenses you, we or any of our or your Affiliates incur in connection with any recall or threatened recall of any of Your Products (including the costs to return, store, repair, liquidate or deliver to you or any vendor any of these products).**F.7.4. Disposal of Unsuitable Units.** In the event any Amazon Fulfilment Unit is returned to our Site Fulfilment Centre on account of being an Unsuitable Unit, then we may, without limiting any of our other rights under this Agreement (including as described in Section F.3.2), (a) dispose of or destroy such Unit in case you fail to remove such Unit from our Site Fulfilment Centre within a period of thirty (30) days from the date we notify you that its removal is required, for instance because your use of FBA is suspended or terminated or your seller account is suspended, terminated or closed; and (b) immediately dispose of or destroy such Unit if: (i) we determine that such Unit has no replacement value; (ii) we determine that the Unit creates a safety, health or liability risk to Amazon, our personnel or any third party; or (iii) we obtain knowledge of your engagement in fraudulent or illegal activity; or (iv) we have cause to terminate your use of Services with immediate effect pursuant to Section 3 and are exposed to liability towards a third party. In addition, you will reimburse us for any damages incurred including any expenses we incur in connection with any Unsuitable Units.**F.8. Reporting**You are responsible for raising or collecting from customers any appropriate documentation including invoices, delivery challans, way bills, stock transfer forms (e.g., Form F) or any other statutorily required documentation for reporting of both dispatch and arrivals of the shipment of Units to and from Site Fulfilment Centres. You will be solely responsible for clearing any goods held up at any checkposts or seized by tax authorities as a result of non-compliance of any required documentation requirements.**F.9. Customer Service****F.9.1.** We will be responsible for all customer service issues relating to packaging, handling and shipment and customer returns, refunds and adjustments related to Amazon Fulfilment Units. We will determine on your behalf, whether a customer will receive a refund, adjustment or replacement for any Amazon Fulfilment Unit and we will require you to reimburse us where we determine you have responsibility in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement (including these Service Terms and the Program Policies for the applicable Amazon Site). Except as provided in this *Section F-9* regarding any Amazon Fulfilment Units, customer service will be handled as set forth in your Seller Agreement. You will be responsible for VAT/CST related customer service enquiries including but not limited to pricing and tax obligations including but not limited to VAT/CST, sales, service and goods and services taxes invoices and credit memos.**F.9.2.** In situations relating to Amazon Fulfilment Units where the wrong item was delivered or the item was damaged or lost or is missing, unless we determine that the basis for such request is caused by you or any of your employees, agents or contractors, and for any breach of contractual obligation / non-performance of obligations by Amazon as covered under the Program Policies causing such damage or loss we will, at our option for any Amazon Fulfilment Unit (i) ship a replacement Unit to the customer and pay you the applicable replacement value (as described in the FBA Lost and Damaged Inventory Reimbursement Policy (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/help.html/?itemID=G200213130&ref_=xx_G200213130_a_r0_cont_sgsearch)*)* for the replacement Unit or (ii) process a refund to the customer and pay you the replacement value for the Unit. Any customer refund will be processed in accordance with the Selling on Amazon Service Terms. Notwithstanding the terms of the Selling on Amazon Service Terms, we will be entitled to retain the applicable Fees payable to us under the Selling on Amazon Service Terms and these Service Terms, respectively. Except as expressly provided in this *Section F-9.2* you will be responsible for all costs associated with any replacement or return.**F.9.3.** If we provide a replacement Unit or refund as described in the preceding sentence to a customer and that customer returns the original Unit to us, we will be entitled to dispose of /destroy the Unit pursuant to *Section F-7*, or, if it is a Sellable Unit, we may, at our option, place such Unit back into your inventory in accordance with *Section F-6*. If we do put it back into your inventory, you will compensate us for the applicable replacement value of the returned Unit. Any replacement Unit shipped by us under these Service Terms will be deemed to be, and will be treated in the same manner as, an order and sale of such Unit from you to the customer via the Amazon Site in accordance with the Business Solutions Agreement and your Seller Agreement, and will be subject to all terms and conditions applicable thereto.**F.10. Compensation****F.10.1. Fees.** You will pay us the applicable fees (including storage, fulfilment, removal and disposal fees) set out in the FBA Fee Schedule for the Amazon Site (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/200209150?ref=ag_200209150_cont_G1791&language=en_IN). You will be charged the Storage Fees beginning on the day (up to midnight) that the Unit arrives at the Site Fulfilment Centre and is available for fulfilment by Amazon (or in the case of any Unsuitable Unit, the arrival day (up to midnight)), until the earlier of: (a) the day (up to midnight) we receive a valid customer order for such product or a request from you to return or dispose of or destroy the Unit; or (b) the day (up to midnight) we actually ship the Unit to your designated return location or dispose of or destroy the Unit.**F.10.2. Shipping and Gift Wrap.** For any Amazon Fulfilment Units we will determine the amounts charged to the customer for shipping and gift wrap services for the Units that we fulfil through the FBA Program. As between you and us, these charges will be your tax inclusive charges to the customer, and we will report them to you. We will charge you (and you will pay us) a fee equal to the amount of such charges to the customer. You acknowledge and agree that you are responsible to account for any applicable taxes including but not limited to VAT/CST, sales, service and goods and services taxes on the shipping and gift wrap charges to customer.**F.10.3. Taxes on Fees Payable to Amazon.** In regard to these Service Terms you can provide a VAT / goods and services tax registration number or evidence of being in business, if you do not have a VAT / goods and services tax registration number. If you are VAT / goods and services tax registered, or in business but not VAT / goods and services tax registered, you give the following warranties and representations:(a) all services provided by Amazon to you are being received by your establishment under your designated VAT / goods and services tax registration number; and(b) (i) the VAT / goods and services tax registration number, or the evidence of being in business, you submit to Amazon belongs to the business you operate; (ii) that all transactions regarding the services will be business-related transactions made by the business associated with the VAT / goods and services tax registration number, if evidence of being in business, you submit to Amazon; and (iii) that the VAT / goods and services tax registration number, or evidence of being in business, and all other information provided by you is true, accurate and current and you will immediately update any such information held by Amazon in case of any changes.Amazon reserves the right to request additional information and to confirm the validity of any your account information (including without limitation your VAT / goods and services tax registration number) from you or government authorities and agencies as permitted by Law and you hereby irrevocably authorize Amazon to request and obtain such information from such government authorities and agencies. Further, you agree to provide any such information to Amazon upon request. Amazon reserves the right to charge you any applicable unbilled VAT / goods and services tax if you provide a VAT / goods and services tax registration number, or evidence of being in business, that is determined to be invalid. VAT / goods and services tax registered sellers and sellers who provide evidence of being in business agree to accept electronic VAT / goods and services tax invoices in a format and method of delivery as determined by Amazon.All payments by Amazon to you shall be made subject to any applicable withholding taxes and tax collection at source under the applicable Law. Amazon will retain, in addition to its net Fees, an amount equal to the legally applicable withholding taxes / tax collection at source at the applicable rate. You are responsible for deducting and depositing the legally applicable taxes and deliver to Amazon sufficient document evidencing the deposit of tax. Upon receipt of the evidence of deduction of tax, Amazon will remit the amount evidenced in the certificate to you. Upon your failure to duly deposit these taxes and providing evidence to that effect within 5 days from the end of the relevant month, Amazon shall have the right to utilize the retained amount for discharging its tax liability.Where you have deposited the taxes, you will issue an appropriate tax withholding certificate for such amount to Amazon and Amazon shall provide necessary support and documentation as may be required by you for discharging your obligations.Amazon has the option to obtain an order for lower or NIL withholding tax from the Indian Revenue authorities. In case Amazon successfully procures such an order, it will communicate the same to you. In that case, the amounts retained, shall be in accordance with the directions contained in the order as in force at the point in time when tax is required to be deducted at source.Any taxes applicable in addition to the fee payable to Amazon shall be added to the invoiced amount as per applicable Law at the invoicing date which shall be paid by you.**F.10.4. Registration of Fulfilment Centres for VAT / CST / goods and services tax:** Amazon understands and agrees that you would be required to register the Site Fulfilment Centres wholly or partly as your place of business from a VAT / CST / goods and services tax regulations perspective. Amazon shall issue a no-objection certificate as required to enable you to register the Site Fulfilment Centres as your additional place of business from a VAT / CST / goods and services tax regulations perspective. Amazon shall, on your request, issue a no-objection certificate in the prescribed format and other related documents as may be necessary to enable obtaining such registration. You shall indemnify and keep indemnified Amazon and its Affiliates, in addition to Section F.11, against any consequences arising from investigation or enquiry by the tax authorities due to any reason. In the event, your goods (or Site Fulfilment Centres) are seized by the tax authorities for any reason, the responsibility for undertaking the release, and bearing the costs of the release, would be solely on you, while Amazon would support this process as reasonably required. You further represent and warrant that you will not register Site Fulfilment Centres as your principal place of business but only as an additional place of business.**F.11. Indemnity**In addition to your obligations under Section 6 of the Business Solutions Agreement, you also agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless us, our Affiliates and their and our respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents against any Claim that arises out of or relates to: (a) the Units (whether or not title has transferred to us, and including any Unit that we identify as yours pursuant to Section F-4), including any personal injury, death or property damage; and, if applicable, b) any of Your Taxes or the collection, payment or failure to collect or pay Your Taxes or for any demand/denial of credit arising on account discrepancies observed in the goods and services tax returns filed.**F.12. Release**You hereby, on behalf of yourself and your successors, subsidiaries, Affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders, employees, assigns and any other person or entity claiming by, through, under or in concert with you or them (collectively, the "**Releasing Parties**"), irrevocably acknowledge full and complete satisfaction of and hereby unconditionally and irrevocably release and forever fully discharge Amazon and each of its Affiliates, and any and all of their predecessors, successors, and Affiliates, past and present, as well as each of their partners, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, employees, representatives, attorneys, and assigns, past and present, and each of them and all Persons acting by, through, under or in concert with any of them (collectively, the "**Released Parties**"), from any and all claims, obligations, demands, causes of action, suits, damages, losses, debts or rights of any kind or nature, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, determined or speculative (collectively, "**Losses**") which the Releasing Parties now own or hold or at any time heretofore have owned or held or in the future may hold or own against the Released Parties, or any of them, arising out of, resulting from, or in any way related to, the shipment including any tax registration or collection obligations. You, on behalf of yourself and all other Releasing Parties, recognize that you, and each of them, may have some Losses (WHETHER IN CONTRACT; WARRANTY; TORT; DELICT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE; PRODUCT LIABILITY; ANY TYPE OF CIVIL RESPONSIBILITY OR OTHER THEORY) OR OTHERWISE) against the Released Parties of which you, or any of them, are totally unaware and unsuspecting, or which may arise or accrue after the date you register for these FBA Service Terms, which the Releasing Parties are giving up by agreeing to these FBA Service Terms. It is your intention in agreeing to these FBA Service Terms that these FBA Service Terms will deprive the Releasing Parties of each and all such Losses and prevent the Releasing Party from asserting any such Losses against the Released Parties, or any of them.**F.13. Disclaimer**IN ADDITION TO THE DISCLAIMER IN *SECTION 7* OF THE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS AGREEMENT, WE HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY DUTIES OF A BAILEE OR WAREHOUSEMAN TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, AND YOU HEREBY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS AND REMEDIES OF A BAILOR (WHETHER ARISING UNDER COMMON LAW OR STATUTE), RELATED TO OR ARISING OUT OF ANY POSSESSION, STORAGE OR SHIPMENT OF YOUR PRODUCTS BY US OR OUR AFFILIATES OR ANY OF OUR OR THEIR CONTRACTORS OR AGENTS.**F.14. Effect of Termination**Your termination rights are set out in **Section 3** of this Agreement. Following any termination of the Business Solutions Agreement or these FBA Service Terms in connection with the Amazon Site, we will, as directed by you, return to you or dispose of or destroy the Units registered in connection with the Amazon Site as provided in Section F-7. If you fail to direct us to return or dispose of or destroy the Units within ninety (90) calendar days after termination, then we may elect to return and/or dispose of or destroy the Units in whole or in part, as provided in Section F-7, and you agree to such action. Upon any termination of these FBA Service Terms in connection with the Amazon Site, all rights and obligations of the parties under these FBA Service Terms with regard to the Amazon Site will be extinguished, except that the rights and obligations of the parties under Sections F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6, F-7, F-8, F-9, F-10, F-11, F-12, F-13 and F-14 with respect to Units received or stored by Amazon as of the date of termination will survive the termination.**F.15. Tax Matters**You understand and acknowledge that storing Units at the Site Fulfilment Centres may create a tax presence for you in the applicable territory in which the Site Fulfilment Centre is located, and you will be solely responsible for any taxes, interest or penalties owed as a result of such storage. You will be responsible for Your Taxes, interest or penalties and you will indemnify and hold Amazon and its Affiliates harmless from Your Taxes, interest or penalties as provided in Section F-11 of these FBA Service Terms and agree to pay any of these over to Amazon promptly. You acknowledge and agree that you are responsible for preparing and filing any applicable statutorily required documentation to be issued either by you or by the customers. You acknowledge that you are responsible to handle any requests for refunds of taxes including but not limited to VAT/CST, service, sales and goods and services taxes on shipments to these addresses where appropriate.**F.16. Additional Representation**In addition to your representations and warranties in Section 5 of the Business Solutions Agreement, you represent and warrant to us that: (a) you have valid legal title to all Units and all necessary rights to distribute the Units and to perform under these FBA Service Terms; (b) you will deliver all Units to us in new condition (or in such condition otherwise described by you in the applicable Your Product listing) and in a merchantable condition; (c) all Units and their packaging will comply with all applicable marking, labelling and other requirements required by Law; (d) no Unit is or will be produced or manufactured, in whole or in part, by child labour or by convict or forced labour; (e) you and all of your subcontractors, agents and suppliers involved in producing or delivering Units will strictly adhere to all applicable Laws (including any Law applicable to any territory where Units are produced or delivered, regarding the operation of their facilities and their business and labour practices, including working conditions, wages, hours and minimum ages of workers).**FBA Definitions****"Amazon Fulfilment Units"** means Units fulfilled using FBA that are sold through the Amazon Site. For avoidance of doubt, if you have successfully registered for both FBA and Selling on Amazon for the Amazon Site, then the term "Amazon Fulfilment Units" and the defined term "Amazon-Fulfilled Products" in the Selling on Amazon Service Terms both refer to the same items.**"FBA Excluded Product"** means, with respect to the Amazon Site you register Units in connection with, any Unit that is an Excluded Product, or is otherwise prohibited by the Program Policies for the Amazon Site (https://sellercentral.amazon.in/gp/help/help.html?itemID=521&ref=ag_521_bred_1801&).**"Sellable Unit"** means a Unit that is not an Unsuitable Unit.**"Seller Agreement"** means the Selling on Amazon Service Terms, any successor to any of these agreements, or any other similar agreement (as determined by Amazon) between you and us that permits you to list and sell products via the Amazon Site.**"Shipping Information"** means with respect to any purchased Unit(s), the following information: the name of the recipient, the shipping address, the quantity of Units to be shipped, and any other shipping-related information we may reasonably request.**"Site Fulfilment Centre(s)"** means the fulfilment centre(s) designated or used by Amazon to store and fulfill Units in connection with a particular Amazon Site.**"Unit"** means a unit of Your Product that you deliver to Amazon in connection with the FBA Program in connection with the Amazon Site.**"Unsuitable Unit"** means a Unit: (a) that is defective, damaged, or lacking required label(s); (b) the labels for which were not properly registered with Amazon before shipment or do not match the product that was registered; (c) that is an FBA Excluded Product or does not comply with the Business Solutions Agreement (including these Service Terms and the applicable Program Policies); or (d) that Amazon determines is otherwise unsuitable.**Amazon Advertising Service Terms**The Amazon Advertising Service Terms govern your use of Amazon Advertising, a Service that allows you to advertise your products. The Amazon Advertising Service Terms apply to your use of the Ad Services.Your use of the Ad Services (as defined in the Amazon Advertising Agreement) is governed by the Amazon Advertising Agreement. You accept the Amazon Advertising Agreement, which may be updated from time to time by Amazon in accordance with its terms. The Amazon Advertising Agreement is available at Amazon Advertising - Advertising Campaigns (Amazon Advertising - Advertising Campaigns). In the event of any conflict between the General Terms or Program Policies and the Amazon Advertising Agreement with respect to the Ad Services, the Amazon Advertising Agreement will prevail to the extent of the conflict. If the Amazon Advertising Agreement is deemed unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then the General Terms will govern your access to and use of the Ad Services.**Selling Partner API Terms****API-1 Description of the Selling Partner APIs**The “Selling Partner APIs” enable your systems to interface with certain features or functionality we make available to you. These Selling Partner API Terms concern and apply only to your use of the Selling Partner APIs unless specifically provided otherwise. Under the Selling Partner API Terms, you may authorize parties who (a) develop Applications to support you using the Selling Partner APIs or the API Materials, (b) have registered with us as Developers, and (c) who have agreed to the Marketplace Developer Agreement (“Developers”) to access Amazon Transaction Information and your Materials via the Selling Partner APIs. If you wish to use the Selling Partner APIs directly or develop software or a website that interfaces with the Selling Partner APIs or the API Materials (an “Application”), you must register as a Developer.We may make available Selling Partner APIs (including the Marketplace Web Services APIs) and software, data, text, audio, video, images, or other content we make available in connection with the Selling Partner APIs, including related documentation, software libraries, and other supporting materials, regardless of format (collectively the “API Materials”) that permit your systems to interface with certain features or functionality available to you. You may authorize Developers to access your Materials via the Selling Partner APIs solely for the purpose of supporting your business on Amazon. All terms and conditions applicable to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials in this Agreement are solely between you and us. API Materials that are public or open source software (“Public Software”) may be provided to you under a separate license, in which case, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, that license will govern your use of those API Materials. For the avoidance of doubt, except to the extent expressly prohibited by the license governing any API Materials that are Public Software, all of the non-license provisions of this Agreement will apply.**API-2 License and Related Requirements****API-2.1 Generally.**We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-sublicenseable, nontransferable license during the term of the Agreement to allow Developers to access and use Your Materials through the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials solely in support of your use of the Services covered by this Agreement. As between you and us, we or our licensors own all right, title, and interest in and to the Selling Partner APIs, the API Materials, any technical and operational specifications, security protocols and other documentation or policies provided or made available by us with respect to the Selling Partner APIs or the API Materials (the “Selling Partner API Specifications”), and our internal data center facilities, servers, networking equipment, and host software systems that are within our or their reasonable control and are used to provide the Selling Partner APIs or the API Materials (the “Amazon Network”).**API-2.2 License Restrictions.**You may authorize Developers to access your Materials through the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials only through APIs documented and communicated by us in accordance with any applicable Selling Partner API Specifications. You may not and may not authorize any other party to do any of the following with the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials: (a) reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble them; (b) modify or create derivative works based upon them in whole or in part; (c) distribute copies of them; (d) remove any proprietary notices or labels on them; (e) use any Public Software in any manner that requires, pursuant to the license applicable to such Public Software, that the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials be disclosed, licensed, distributed, or otherwise made available to anyone; (f) resell, lease, rent, transfer, sublicense, or otherwise transfer rights to them; (g) access or use them in a way intended to avoid incurring any applicable fees or exceeding usage limits or quotas; (h) access or use them for any purpose unrelated to your use of Services; or (i) access or use them for fraudulent or illegal activities or activities that violate our policies or are otherwise harmful to us or any third parties. The limitations regarding data use in Section 10 above apply to any information you receive by the direct or indirect use of the Selling Partner APIs.**API-2.3 No License for Direct Access.**For the avoidance of doubt, these Selling Partner API Terms do not provide you a license to directly access or use the Selling Partner APIs, or install, copy, use, or distribute API Materials. Direct use of the Selling Partner APIs may only be licensed to Developers.**API-2.4 Account Identifiers and Credentials.**You must use the account IDs and any unique public key/private key pair issued by us to provide access to your data via the Selling Partner APIs (“Account Identifiers and Credentials”) in accordance with these Selling Partner API Terms to authorize Developers to access the Selling Partner APIs on your behalf. You may only authorize access to Amazon Transaction Information and Your Materials via the Selling Partner APIs in the way that we prescribe. Your Account Identifiers and Credentials are for your personal use only and you must maintain their secrecy and security. You are solely responsible for all activities that occur using your Account Identifiers and Credentials, regardless of whether the activities are undertaken by you or a third party (including your employees, contractors, or agents). You will provide us with notice immediately if you believe an unauthorized third party may be using your Account Identifiers and Credentials or if your Account Identifiers and Credentials are lost or stolen. We are not responsible for unauthorized use of your Account Identifiers and Credentials.**API-2.5 Security of Your Materials.**You are solely responsible for authorizing others to access the Selling Partner APIs on your behalf and taking your own steps to maintain appropriate security, protection, and backup of Your Materials. We are not responsible for any unauthorized access to, alteration of, or deletion, destruction, damage, loss, or failure to store any of Your Materials in connection with the Selling Partner APIs (including as a result of your or any third party’s errors, acts, or omissions).**API-3 Termination****API-3.1 Termination of Your Access to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials.**Without limiting the parties’ rights and obligations under this Agreement, the Selling Partner API Developer Agreement, or the Selling Partner API Licence Agreement, we may limit, suspend, or terminate your access to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials for convenience with 30 days’ notice. We may terminate immediately if (a) we determine that you have materially breached this Agreement and failed to cure within 7 days of a cure notice; (b) you or your account have been engaged in deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; or (c) your use of the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials may harm our customers.Upon any suspension or termination of your access to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials, you will immediately cease authorizing others to use the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials. Upon any termination of your access to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials, you will also immediately destroy all API Materials. Upon any suspension or termination of your access to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials, we may cause your Account Identifiers and Credentials to cease to be recognized by the Amazon Network for the purposes of the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials.**API-4 Modifications to the Selling Partner APIs and the API Materials**We may change or discontinue the Selling Partner APIs or the API Materials (including by changing or removing features or functionality of the Selling Partner APIs or the API Materials) from time to time. For any material changes that will negatively affect your business, we will provide notice under Section 14.**API-5 Disclaimers**THE SELLING PARTNER APIS AND THE API MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS". WE AND OUR AFFILIATE COMPANIES AND LICENSORS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE REGARDING THE SELLING PARTNER APIS OR THE API MATERIALS, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SELLING PARTNER APIS OR THE API MATERIALS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT ANY MATERIALS OR DATA YOU ACCESS, USE, STORE, RETRIEVE, OR TRANSMIT IN CONNECTION WITH THE SELLING PARTNER APIS, INCLUDING YOUR MATERIALS, WILL BE SECURE OR NOT OTHERWISE LOST OR DAMAGED. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE AND OUR AFFILIATE COMPANIES AND LICENSORS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF ANY COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. FURTHER, NEITHER WE NOR ANY OF OUR AFFILIATE COMPANIES OR LICENSORS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COMPENSATION, REIMBURSEMENT, OR DAMAGES ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH: (A) THE INABILITY TO USE THE SELLING PARTNER APIS OR THE API MATERIALS FOR ANY REASON; (B) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; OR (C) ANY INVESTMENTS, EXPENDITURES, OR COMMITMENTS BY YOU IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR YOUR USE OF OR ACCESS TO THE SELLING PARTNER APIS OR THE API MATERIALS.

Not Just Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee but Former PM Manmohan Singh was also on the verge Resolving Kashmir Issue completely.Before even we start digging into history, it would be right to say that, don’t expect a short answer, as complexity between two nations cannot be presented in short fact files, i will try my best to keep it short.First start with Lahore Declarataion,The Lahore Declaration is a bilateral agreement and governance treaty between India and Pakistan. The treaty was signed on 21 February 1999, at the conclusion of a historic summit in Lahore, and ratified by the parliaments of both countries the same year.ContentThe Lahore Declaration was signed on 21 February along with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) after three rounds of talks between the Indian and Pakistani leaders.In its content, both governments asserted their commitment to the vision of peace, stability and mutual progress and their full commitment to the Shimla Agreement and the UN Charter. Both governments recognised through the Lahore Declaration that the development of nuclear weapons brought added responsibility to both nations towards avoiding conflict and promoted the importance of Confidence-building measures, especially to avoid accidental and unauthorised use of nuclear weapons.India and Pakistan also decided to give each other advance notification of ballistic missile flight tests and accidental or unexplained use of nuclear weapons to avoid the outbreak of a nuclear conflict.Its important inter alia stated:Recognizes that the nuclear dimension of the security environment of the two countries adds to their responsibility for avoidance of conflict between them.Commits both to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and the universally accepted principles of peaceful co-existence.Commits both countries to the objectives of universal nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.The Lahore Declaration and the MoU incorporated a joint commitment to intensify efforts to resolve the Kashmir conflict and other dispute, to enhance bilateral dialogue and to implement nuclear safeguards and measures to prevent conflict. Both governments condemned terrorism and committed to non-interference in each other's internal affairs and the objectives of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation and promote human rights.In the joint statement issued after the conclusion of the summit, both governments said that their foreign ministers would meet periodically and consult each other on issues pertaining to the World Trade Organization and information technology.A two-member ministerial committee was to be established to investigate human rights issues, civilian detainees and missing prisoners of war. The Indian Prime Minister thanked his Pakistani counterpart and issued an invitation for a future summit in India.Not only this, Atal Bihari Vajpayee embarked on a historic visit to Pakistan, travelling on the inaugural bus service connecting the Indian capital of New Delhi with the major Pakistani city of Lahore, establishing a major transport link for the peoples of both nations.The inaugural bus also carried Indian celebrities and dignitaries such as Dev Anand, Satish Gujral, Javed Akhtar, Kuldip Nayar, Kapil Dev, Shatrughan Sinha and Mallika Sarabhai.Now the backdoor story is something like this,Interviews with Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's Foreign Minister, and Mushahid Hussain, Minister for Information, at the time of the Lahore Summit in February 1999 confirm in rich detail what Amit Baruah reported in The Hindu on April 3, 1999. "In a significant development, the Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers agreed during their recent Lahore Summit that while Mr.A.B. Vajpayee will not refer to Kashmir as an integral part of India in public, Mr. Nawaz Sharif will reciprocate by not mentioning the U.N. resolutions on Kashmir. It has been reliably learnt by The Hindu that the Prime Minister, who had three meetings in Lahore on February 20-21, had free-wheeling discussions on the Kashmir issue, not restricted to the official public positions of the two countries." Others in government, unaware of what they discussed, kept "repeating traditional arguments since the Lahore Summit".This is precisely what President Pervez Musharraf has in mind when he says "one could negate certain solutions" and move from "stated positions".The report in The Hindu added: "In a radical proposal, Mr. Vajpayee suggested to Mr. Sharif that the two countries open the Line of Control (LoC) at Uri in Indian Kashmir to allow Kashmiris living close to it to meet each other."Yes, you read it right, its the same URI, where cowardly attack took place.However, it was speculated in the Pakistan's news media that many in Pakistan military did not approve of the treaty and consequently worked to subvert it and escalate tensions between the two nations.The reception for Vajpayee, described as the leader of an "enemy-combatant nation," was boycotted by the chiefs of Pakistan military, and those included the Chairman joint chiefs and army chief General Pervez Musharaff, air chief ACM PQ Mehdi and naval chief Admiral Fasih Bokhari.A terrorist attacks claimed the lives of civilians continued even as the summit was about to take place.The relations between the two nations were completely transformed at the outbreak of the Kargil War in May 1999, following the sudden revelation that Pakistani soldiers had infiltrated into Indian Kashmir; the Indian Army was deployed to evict the Pakistan army soldiers and retake capture the disputed territory. The two-month-long conflict claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers on both sides and brought both nations close to full-scale war and possible nuclear conflict.After this conflict, the "Lahore Treaty" was stalled and no further discussions took place between the two countries on promoting the dialogue and CBMs initiated at Lahore in February 1999.The conflict was followed by an Atlantique incident in which the Indian Air Force intercept and shot down the Pakistan Navy's reconnaissance aircraft; a total of eleven naval personnel were killed. After months of contentious relations with the military and judiciary, a military coup d'état was staged by Pakistan Armed Forces that overthrew the Government of Nawaz Sharif and brought the chairman joint chiefs General Pervez Musharraf, believed to be responsible for the Kargil incursion, to power, thus exacerbating doubts over the future of the relations between the two nations.Next came the Agra Summit,The Agra summit was a historic two-day summit meeting between India and Pakistan which lasted from 14–16 July 2001. It was organized with the aim of resolving long-standing issues between India and Pakistan.Earlier in 1999, during Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Pakistan,both countries had acceded and successfully ratified the Lahore Declaration and pledged to make joint efforts for peace and stability in South Asia. The Kargil war was a major blow to the Lahore treaty and it stalled the treaty as the relations between two countries suffered a serious setback. General Musharraf is widely believed to be a strategic mastermind and brain behind the Kargil war.On 11 March 2001, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called upon both India and Pakistan to retain the spirit of the Lahore Declaration, saying that it would require restraint, wisdom, and constructive steps from both sides.Finally, the framework for negotiations of the Agra treaty began with talks in New Delhi between President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in July 2001.After much diplomatic efforts, the Agra summit started amid high hopes of resolving various disputes between the two countries including the five decades old Kashmir issue. Both sides started the summit with hopefulness and in a spirit of good will; especially President Musharraf who used the phrases "cautious optimism", "flexibility" and "open mind" to describe his views for the summit. The Indian President, K. R. Narayanan, also promised to take "bold and innovative" measures and to discuss the "core issue" between the two countries.Various rounds of one-to-one talks were held between President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee. On the first day, a 90-minute one-on-one session was held and the two leaders discussed the Kashmir issue, cross-border terrorism, nuclear risk reduction, release of prisoners of war, and commercial ties.There were high hopes in Pakistan that both the leaders would arrive at an agreement and a joint statement or declaration would be made at the end of the summit as the two leaders plunged into serious talks.Despite reservations from the Indian Government, President Musharraf also held face-to-face meetings with the top Kashmiri leadership represented by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.However, this talk also collapsed, According to the Indian scholar, Gaurav Kampani, there were three major reasons for the Indian government's reluctance in accepting Pakistan's assurances at face value.First, the Vajpayee government did not trust President Pervez Musharraf and the establishment that he represents in Delhi.In India alone, it was widely felt that it was Musharraf who sabotaged joint peace efforts of Pakistan Prime minister Navaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Lahore Summit in 1999.Second, India was not satisfied with Pakistan's pledge to halt cross-border infiltrations;Thirdly the Indian government had plans for holding regional elections in Indian Kashmir in October 2002.Indian leadership considered Musharraf's refusal to give up support to the cross-border insurgency in Kashmir as the reason behind the failure of the Agra Summit in June 2001.However, time and destiny again gave chance to both nations to come to a resolution, and they did came, and this time it was between, Former PM Manmohan Singh, and Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy Satinder K Lambah.A former Indian government official has revealed that during secret negotiations with India in 2007, Pakistan had agreed to leave behind its long-held stance on seeking a solution for the Kashmir issue through the implementation of a UN resolution while both countries agreed not to redraw borders.Special envoy to former Indian premier Manmohan Singh Satinder Lambah claimed that the government of both countries had decided to sign an agreement on their long-drawn issues; however, the agreement remained unsigned due to political unrest in Pakistan, which led to former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf’s removal.“What we were working on, agreed there would be no reference to the United Nations resolution or a plebiscite in Kashmir. Both sides had agreed that borders cannot be redrawn,” Lambah said.Further, Lambah, vaguely discussing the agreement, stated that the Pakistan army and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) were onboard as well; however, discussions within the ruling party and with opposition leaders in India were remaining.“We had assurance from the military government of that time (under president Musharraf). The negotiations from Pakistan could not have been finalised it if the establishment had not been onboard,” he said.While Pakistani leaders who were aware of the agreement claimed that India had agreed to the demilitarisation of Kashmir, Lambah’s statement suggested otherwise.“We had agreed to the reduction of military troops, not paramilitary and that was subject to Pakistan ensuring an end to hostilities, violence and terrorism. That was a major prerequisite. There was no timeline by which the agreement was to be signed. The only time limit was that terrorism must end,” he said.However, a year after the framework of the agreement was completed, there was an attack in Mumbai in November 2008, which derailed relations between India and Pakistan.“Mumbai [attacks] was a very unfortunate incident and that did stop the dialogue. There was a break but we had already finished most of the work by then. After the Mumbai attacks, there were limited (back channel) contacts but what was agreed on by the Musharraf government was not disowned by successive governments.”According to Lambah, the agreement was a “win-win for Pakistan, India and the people of Kashmir” as it focused on ending terrorism, working on joint mechanisms for socio-economic subjects and taking into consideration the views of Kashmiris as far as revenue, finance, law and order was concerned.“The agreement could have been a basis for all governments, including the present one led by Narendra Modi,” Lambah stated.“It was not negotiated keeping an individual or party in mind. Everyone has their own style. Pursuit of peace with Pakistan and a discussion on Kashmir has been undertaken by different prime ministers and I have no doubt that future governments will follow the same path.”Further commenting on the recent meetings between Pakistani and Hurriyat leaders, Lambah said “In the past, Vajpayee, Advani and Manmohan Singh have met Hurriyat leaders and also given them visas to visit Pakistan. As regarding Pakistan, I fail to understand why they want to talk only to the Hurriyat and not also to the elected mainstream leaders from Jammu and Kashmir.”RAW was also part of all this back-channel discussion, majorly in keeping this talks totally classified.A former intelligence official revealed that Lambah was flown to Rawalpindi on a Research and Analysis Wing jet when negotiations reached an advanced stage, travelling without a passport or visa to ensure the meetings remained secret.But even this talk couldn’t be concreted due to overthrow of President Musharraf.Under the current clouds coming to any decision or peace is gonna be really difficult for India, and as for Pakistan, there all time problem, the military angle is always caused problem. Problem with them is, they are always in revenge mode, and just that, they don’t this the bigger picture and their primary interest is just there revenge, because of which the people of Pakistan are suffering, and see the irony, Countries Military is considered to be pride of nation, whereas here in this case, Pakistan Military Establishment has just forgotten that, by giving a no eye to larger interest of public.Sources :-The truth about the Lahore SummitManmohan Singh, Musharraf came close to striking Kashmir deal: WikiLeaks - Times of IndiaAgra summitLahore DeclarationPakistan, India almost signed 'win-win' Kashmir deal in 2007: Ex envoy - The Express Tribune'Manmohan handed over secret file on Kashmir talks to Modi' - The Express TribuneYou can further read the following interviews to know more in depth about the back channel talks, or otherwise, this much context would suffice the purpose of this question’s answer.Thank You.!Interviews of Sartaz Aziz and Mushahid HussainSartaj AzizWhat was the background to the Lahore Summit in February 1999 between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan?The Lahore process actually started somewhere in August 1996 as far as we were concerned. Frank Wisner, the U.S. Ambassador to India, had come to Pakistan and called on Nawaz Sharif as the Leader of the Opposition. In preparation for the meeting, Nawaz Sharif asked me: "Bhai saheb, is there no way (out)? Are we going to go on fighting? For the last 50 years there has been no way to resolve it. We cannot get a perfect solution. We must find some solution." I said: "Obviously no negotiation can succeed if both sides are stuck on their maximum position. No negotiation can take place. So unless both sides show flexibility the issue cannot be solved. It is something worth considering."He asked Wisner the same question when he came half an hour later. "Mr. Ambassador, will India ever negotiate seriously on Kashmir?" Surprisingly, he gave the same answer which I had given. "Only if both sides show flexibility. All of you are so stuck on your maximalist positions that no negotiations can actually succeed; if that is the national consensus on both sides."After he left, Sharif said: "If we get back to power this is something that we can do because nobody can doubt my niyyat (good intentions and my patriotism) if I negotiate on something less (than Pakistan's stand)." Three months later, when the (Benazir Bhutto) government was dismissed and the election campaign started, he twice made a statement during the campaign that "my priorities will be to hold intensive, serious negotiations with India on Kashmir and try to improve relations with India". He made those statements deliberately. Later, when he came to Islamabad he told me in Punjabi, "Sartaj saheb, mai gal kardi" (I said that thing) so that tomorrow people can't say "why are you negotiating on Kashmir?" because this is part of my election campaign. In the February 1997 elections we won a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, 140 out of 200, which is more than two-thirds, which was unprecedented.He received a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Nawaz Sharif showed me the letter. It was a formal letter and the draft of a formal reply came from our Foreign Office. When he showed me the draft reply I asked, "What about starting serious negotiations?" I was then Finance Minister, not Foreign Minister. "Why don't you add a few sentences..." The sentences added were: "I share your desire for improved relations but that requires serious negotiations and I suggest that we begin negotiations at the Foreign Secretaries' level if possible before the end of March 1997."The reply came: "We are ready." The first meeting at the Foreign Secretaries' level was held before the end of March. They then met in June for the second time to identify eight subjects for the eight working groups.Was there any understanding earlier between Gujral and Sharif in Male about the working group? (This was a reference to their meeting in Male during the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation on May 12, 1997.)I think there was an understanding in Male. They had a very good equation. Nawaz Sharif told him, "Look, we are not prejudging a solution. But at least let us start discussing." So, the June meeting was very important because they agreed on (listing) the eight subjects (for discussion). But obviously, soon thereafter there was a domestic reaction in India in July: "Why did you agree to a separate working group on Kashmir?" So no negotiations could be held. The Gujral government fell (in November).On June 23, 1997 for the first time those eight subjects were identified. It was agreed - quotes from the Joint Statement issued that day in Islamabad - "to set up a mechanism, including working groups, at appropriate levels, to address all these issues in an integrated manner. The issues at (A) and (B) above will be dealt with at the level of Foreign Secretaries who will also co-ordinate and monitor the progress of work of all the working groups." (A) mentioned peace and security, including confidence-building measures. (B) mentioned Jammu and Kashmir. The rest covered Siachen, Wullar Barrage project, Sir Creek, terrorism and drug trafficking, and so on.In May 1998 the nuclear tests were conducted. The Security Council, the G-8, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, everybody started saying that there must be serious negotiations on Kashmir. They realised that without that the nuclear issue would not be resolved. There was much greater international pressure. The next stage was the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) summit in August 1998 in Durban. The Prime Minister could not go. I led the Pakistan delegation and paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The two Foreign Secretaries agreed to revive the June 23, 1997 formula. An understanding was reached in Durban but it was not announced that preparatory work would be undertaken for the two Prime Ministers' meeting in New York in September 1998 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session. It was at that meeting that the bus service was agreed upon besides a couple of other things."The first round of Foreign Ministers' talks on Jammu and Kashmir and security was held here in Islamabad in October 1998. The other six were discussed in New Delhi in November. Our basic strategy was not to go as far as India's basic stand to forget Kashmir and start other things. We were ready, short of normalisation, to take certain confidence-building measures which would improve the atmosphere for negotiations. But if there was progress on Kashmir, then other things would also improve faster.That is the context in which Sharif invited Mr. Vajpayee to come on the first bus. Even in New York they had said, "Well, the Foreign Secretaries are meeting, but ultimately we have to deal with the issues at our level. You can't expect civil servants to resolve the issues." The understanding was that ultimately "we have to come to grips." The process had started in 1996. Sharif was the first leader in Pakistan who said that to solve Kashmir both sides had to move beyond their stated positions. When Mr. Vajpayee came to Lahore, he did not repeat the traditional Indian position that Kashmir was a part of India and nothing more needed to be said. He said at a civic reception: "Dushmani bahut ho chuki. Ab dosti karni chahiye. Dosti ke liye mushkil faisle karna hai. Dosti ke liye Kashmir pe baat karna hai" (There was enough of enmity. Now we must forge a friendhsip. Difficult decisions will have to be taken to achieve that. We will have to talk on Kashmir in order to forge the friendship).What was the understanding at Lahore?The understanding at Lahore was - the back-channel. While the dialogue would continue on different issues on the official level as far as Kashmir is concerned we must have people who can talk in private. The back-channel was established in New York in September 1998 in a one-to-one meeting. That was a preliminary. Lahore gave it a fillip.Did they nominate their representatives for the back-channel?Absolutely. R.K. Mishra was nominated by the Indian side. Niaz A. Naik was nominated by Pakistan. Among others, Shahryar Khan's name was mentioned. The nominations were conveyed to each other after the New York meeting. They (the nominees) met in November-December 1998.But what was the understanding on the substance?The understanding was to try to accelerate the process. Basically what Nawaz Sharif said was, "Look, both on your side and on our side, we have been so insistent on our maximum positions to such an extent that it has become a national consensus and it is not going to be easy either for you or for me to try to climb down because everyone is so stuck on it. But if you come with any reasonable proposal, then I am prepared to take the risk and try to sell it because I have a two-thirds majority. I am a Punjabi leader and no one will doubt my commitment to the Kashmir cause. Also because I said in August 1994 that no investment will come. I am basically a development man and if you don't resolve Kashmir and the security situation in the region is bad, there will be no foreign investment and no development. We shouldn't go on like this for the next 50 years. So I hope to resolve this issue. You will have to come up with something." They agreed to accelerate the process.Was there an understanding that neither side should publicise its maximalist position?That also and generally a more positive approach. In March-April 1999, there was a major change of tone in the media.How did the dialogue between Mishra and Naik proceed?Since it was back-channel diplomacy there were no records. Naik came and briefed me occasionally. They had four to five meetings till May 1999. Mishra came here sometimes, Naik went there sometimes... The focus of the discussion, the basic line, was, I think, the Kashmir Study Group (KSG) formula. It had many versions. Niaz Naik, Admiral K.K. Nayar and Gen. K.M. Arif were working on various options.Did Mishra accept the KSG formula?Nobody would accept KSG Report. I am talking of it as an approach to explore whether that framework provides an option. The framework basically was to have a "desegregated referendum", a district-wise referendum. That opened up the possibility that the Hindu-majority areas in Jammu and Buddhist-majority Ladakh could go to India.Did Mishra accept this?I don't know exactly what he accepted. But I think later on what probably came up was that India was not prepared to go back to what you call Hindu-majority and Muslim-majority areas. But they discovered later on that all the Hindu majority areas were west of the Chenab river, and all the Muslim majority areas were east of the Chenab. So, they would have used the Chenab as the dividing line for Jammu. That is what people referred to as "the Chenab formula". The area east of Chenab and Ladakh would go to India. Azad Kashmir (PoK) and the Northern Areas would come to Pakistan and the Valley would be given the maximum autonomy under the KSG formula.Under India's sovereignty?There are three versions of it. In the initial Study they said it would have the maximum autonomy minus defence and foreign affairs which would be jointly managed by the two countries as a condominium. In the next they said that since areas may join the independent entity from both sides, each side could administer that area under its sovereignty. The Valley would not be partitioned. It would become larger (as an entity). Some districts (outside it) will opt to join (the Valley).Who will administer the Valley?It will be autonomous except in matters of defence and foreign affairs. In the first version they said India and Pakistan would manage these jointly. In the last version, they (the KSG) said (it depended on) wherever they (areas) came from. So, the Valley mostly in India would manage (defence and foreign affairs).He quoted from the KSG's final report: 'Kashmir A Way Forward' (September 1999; page 3).The LoC would remain although they expected that areas on both its sides would be part of the new entity.You see, there are many unanswered questions. This formula would present problems for us and for India. So one cannot say that the formula was finally accepted either by India or by Pakistan. In broad terms the basis of discussion was that if Hindu majority areas east of the Chenab and Ladakh go to India and Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas go to Pakistan, you narrow the problem to the Valley and to the Valley you give the maximum autonomy. Now, if we all accept that it is under Indian sovereignty, India can say it had done nothing (wrong), "you have kept what you have and you (we?) have given autonomy to Kashmir."How far did the talks proceed?Again, I can't say in so many words how much was agreed. But I did hear that there was a lot of focus on the Chenab formula. They looked at maps. In other words, a kind of partition formula.What was Mishra's reaction?It was not something that was finalised. They had only explored options in preliminary meetings. The impression was that it looked promising if we were patient enough and allowed the process to continue. They were talking of 12 months after February. Because Nawaz Sharif said "if you do not resolve the issue in 12 to 18 months then I go for elections and you will have lost a chance". So, 12 to 18 months was the maximum period after February 1999.After February, I also had a very good meeting with Jaswant Singh in Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka, during the SAARC Foreign Ministers' meeting in March 1999. I briefed him about the discussions. I told him we were not negotiating, but exploring. You know what is happening. So no record was kept of what was discussed. The idea basically was to push the back-channel. For the first time both the countries had moved from their stated positions. You can't expect me to move 90 per cent without your movement. I shall not expect you to move 90 per cent. We have to find the mid-point somewhere. You present the mid-point at 60 per cent and I present it at 60 per cent, that will be there. We have to show flexibility.Did the meeting with Jaswant Singh take the Lahore process a little further?Yes, we also agreed on a time schedule. There was the nuclear thing and other matters besides. We also agreed on a time-frame in which the various groups would meet.What was Jaswant Singh's attitude on Kashmir?He said: "I agree that this is as good a time as any in which we should try to find a solution. You are obviously familiar with the back-channel." But he said that this formula of a regional referendum plus autonomy for the Valley provided a basis. He said, "Give me four to six weeks and I can then convey...." But the four to six weeks never finished because the Vajpayee government fell (on April 17). The process was derailed earlier than Kargil.Did the back-channel come to an end or did it continue?It continued in the context of Kargil.What was the origin of the Kargil conflict?Nobody knows. I think it was basically a local operation in response to the (happenings in) the Neelam Valley. They (Indian forces) are very close to the LoC there. In 1994 they resorted to incessant firing so that the road could not be used. The supply route for 150,000 men could not be used. They got rations through men carrying the load on their heads till they built a bypass later via Kagar Valley, a route which crosses places 17,000 feet high, open only during the summer. I am sure they were looking into ways and means of retaliating. Just as India was close to the LoC near Neelam, Pakistan was close to the LoC in Kargil. They were planning it as a local operation to block that road (from Srinagar to Leh).What is the position today in the Neelam Valley? Is it usable?No. It must have been blocked. The Indians won't allow it (to be used). So, basically, it (Kargil) was a retaliation for Neelam which was planned at the local level as one of those things so that for a few months it would be blocked. But because of the elections, which came after April, India's reaction was much more. Otherwise if for a few months you block a road, why would India sacrifice 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers for mountains that would have been vacated later anyway?You never expected this?Probably that is why it got out of hand.There was also India's feeling that it amounted to treachery after Lahore.I don't think it was. At least I was not aware. Nawaz Sharif was not aware.Nawaz Sharif was not aware of it?The scale and the way it (developed). This is what he said.Ever since India captured Chorbat La in 1988 and Siachen in 1984 there was always a feeling that it was crossing the limits. Even in October 1998 India did very intensive patrolling of that area.What transpired between Jaswant Singh and you in Delhi on June 12, 1999?In Delhi the talks were Kargil-related: How to resolve the Kargil issue. My offer was _ you say we have crossed the LoC. It is an unmarked area. Let the U.N. observers go and identify where the actual LoC is and we shall adjust. But some independent body has to verify. India refused and said we should first reconcile (return?) and then we shall see. R.K. Mishra came here a week later. It was probably agreed that Nawaz Sharif should go to Delhi, stop for a day after his trip to China, and sign some kind of a document where in return for a time-frame for a solution to the Kashmir issue, the Kargil situation would be resolved. The back-channel would have become formalised in the open. But then somehow it fell through. I had by then gone to Africa so I don't know what actually happened. But I think the visit was cancelled at the last minute. The only time when next the dialogue was resumed was at Agra, and you know what happened there.There was a statement by Prime Minister Vajpayee to Parliament on the Agra summit, in which he said: "Eventually, however, we had to abandon the quest for a joint document, mainly because of Pakistan's insistence on the 'settlement' of the Jammu and Kashmir issue as a precondition for the normalisation of relations."I wish to draw his attention to para 3 of the Joint Statement issued after his meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in New York on September 23, 1998, which read as follows: "They reaffirmed their common belief that an environment of durable peace and security was in the supreme interest of both India and Pakistan and of the region as a whole... They agreed that the peaceful settlement of all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, was essential for the purpose."The Lahore Declaration of February 21, 1999 reproduces this paragraph in the preamble and goes on to record the following agreement in the first operative para: "Their respective governments shall intensify their efforts to resolve all issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir." Thus, under the Lahore Declaration, India and Pakistan have already agreed (i) that Jammu and Kashmir is an outstanding issue between the two countries that needs to be resolved (and not merely addressed), (ii) that compared to other issues, Kashmir is the main issue, since it is the only one specifically mentioned in the declaration, and (iii) that the resolution of all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, is essential for creating an environment of peace and security in the region.Beyond an understanding on these points that was reached at Lahore, of even greater significance was the decision of the two leaders to move from form to substance, and explore concrete proposals to resolve the Kashmir issue in a manner that is acceptable, not only to India and Pakistan, but also to the Kashmiri people. As Mr. Vajpayee is aware, some progress was made in the follow-up discussions.Mushahid HussainWill you please state the facts about the story of General Pervez Musharraf's greeting Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Lahore?The fact is that on February 21, 1999, Mr. Vajpayee arrived at the Wagah border close to Lahore where he was received by Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif and a few of his Cabinet colleagues. There was a brief ceremony. We flew in a helicopter from Wagah to the Governor's House in Lahore where Mr. Vajpayee was to stay. I was also there because I was designated as the Liaison Minister-in-Waiting with Mr. Vajpayee and I had to accompany him all through and stay with him. When the helicopter landed on the lawns of the Governor's House he was received by the three Service chiefs led by the Chief of the Army Staff, General Pervez Musharraf, who saluted him and extended his hand. So did the Air Chief Marshal, Pervez Mahdi Qureshi, and Admiral Fazi Bukhari, Chief of the Navy Staff. Then we all went inside the drawing room where the three Service chiefs sat with the two Prime Ministers, myself and some officials sat together and had a tete-a-tete over tea. They returned to Islamabad because Mr.Sartaj Aziz was hosting the same night a banquet for the visiting Chinese Defence Minister and the three Service chiefs had to be there.What really transpired between the two Prime Ministers at Lahore?I would say that the impulse behind the Lahore process was to break the log-jam in India-Pakistan relations, focussing on a broad understanding on ways and means to resolve the 50-year-old Kashmir dispute. India had accepted Pakistan's formulation that Kashmir was a dispute which would require resolution. This had been initiated first at Male in May 1997 in a meeting between Mr. Gujral and Mr. Sharif which was then made public on June 23, 1997 when an Agreement was announced between the Foreign Secretaries on the establishment of joint working groups on outstanding issues between India and Pakistan with a separate working group on Kashmir. This was the first time in 50 years that India had agreed to this.I still remember that when the formal talks began, between Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Sharif, Mr. Sharif began by smilingly thanking Mr. Vajpayee, saying "You provided us an opportunity for becoming a nuclear power, because had you not gone nuclear, we would not have probably tested. So, it was India's tests, India's initiative on becoming a nuclear power by coming out of the closet that forced Pakistan to respond in kind." So, this was the beginning of the discussions. Mr. Vajpayee merely faintly smiled at that.There was this understanding that since both countries were then facing simultaneous pressure from the United States for signing the CTBT _ though the pressure was separate _ perhaps we could have a joint position, exchange notes and we could coordinate our positions on this issue. This was for the first time that Pakistan and India felt that this was the issue. Since they had a certain perspective of Third World countries facing similar pressures from the U.S., they could coordinate their positions. I understand that Mr. Sartaj Aziz and Mr. Jaswant Singh then had a detailed chat on this issue in March 1999 on the sidelines of a SAARC meeting in Colombo.The other area which was discussed was that the two leaders had a broad understanding to resolve the Kashmir question within an agreed time-frame, by moving beyond their officially stated positions on Kashmir which meant moving beyond the status quo.What was the deadline in the time-frame?I would say that there was talk of somewhere between nine to 18 months. But there was this feeling that this issue should be resolved within a certain time-frame. I think the time-frame was also determined with an eye to domestic politics on both sides and that was also an important element; that before they are overtaken by electoral considerations. This important issue should be resolved in a manner that goes beyond the officially stated positions of both sides and which changes the 52-year-old status quo on Kashmir.Great if you read that all, you are a great reader with enormous amount of zeal for knowledge and patience i must say.!!!…or, if you just scrolled down, i take back my words…:P….!!!Thank You once again.!

There have been many, many times where I have come to realize that people, in general, will lie, cheat and steal to pursue their own interests, even if it hurts other innocent people. There is no better place for this to happen than in a work environment.Why is that?Because most States have laws that protect the employee to the point where the employee can use those laws to attack the employer.Of all of the times I could list, I’m choosing to share this one example for the simple reason that it was especially unethical and immoral.I had a female manager that worked for me. During the 10-year period that she managed this particular business, she and I developed a good working relationship. During the last 6 months of her employment, her attitude towards me changed. The reason was because I promoted a more qualified person to the position above her. She was very unhappy about that and on several occasions, lashed out at me for not choosing her.During 5 of those last 6 months, she continually did things that really were offenses that should have been written up and ultimately cost her the job. But, because of our working history, I gave her the benefit of the doubt, until the last month.I had found out she had started running a business from within my business. She had the employees helping her, she was using the equipment and most importantly, she was selling to my customers by pointing them away from the business and towards her new business.After I found out, I went to terminate her employment. During the termination conversation she specifically stated, “I quit, you can’t fire me.” I verbally accepted her resignation and asked her to put it in writing. She said she would. I followed her into the business, allowed her to clean out her possessions, collected her keys and then grabbed a piece of paper and pen, and asked her to put her resignation in writing.She now refused and left the premises.A few days later, I received a letter from an attorney stating she had been wrongfully terminated. It went on to say she was unable to continue working because of the hostile work environment. Additionally, the attorney stated they had filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment, age discrimination, religious discrimination, sexism (because she is female and I’m male), wrongful termination and most harmful to me, language that stated I had refused to allow her to file a workers comp claim, that I “forced” her to work with an injury while threatening her job. The attorney specifically stated that they would be willing to settle for $2.5 million. Otherwise, we were going to trial.The danger for me was that she claimed I forced her to work with an injury. In California, the employment law allows a jury to award damages in this type of case with no cap. In other words, if a jury decided it’s worth $100 million, then they were allowed to award damages in that amount.That was rather scary.There was no question in my mind that she was fully aware of this and was going to be as vindictive as she possibly could be.In one respect, I was lucky that I use Fisher & Phillips, which is one of the best employment law firms in the country. In fact, they ONLY work with employers, no employee representations. The attorney I started working with many years before had become an equity partner in the Los Angeles office and he agreed to represent me and take my case.I explained to him I felt she had cornered herself with the statements made in the letter because in our depositions, she would have to claim she was wrongfully terminated. But, in the workers comp deposition, she would have to say she resigned because I wouldn’t allow her to file a claim.After much deliberation, he and I decided to move ahead with the case instead of settling. I realized it was a risk, but one I was willing to take, at least in the beginning. I felt she had become very arrogant and was convinced she was going to get me. One of the main reasons we moved forward was the attorney representing her against me, would not be representing her at the workers comp hearing. In fact, she had no representation for the workers comp claims.In the first deposition with my attorney, she lied through her teeth. She did in fact say I had terminated her employment. She also laid it on very thick about how I openly threatened her, made lewd remarks to her, all the employees knew it, they all hated me and wanted to quit, etc. It was pure storytelling.Weeks later, my attorney and I conferenced with the attorney who would be doing the workers comp deposition on behalf of the workers comp insurance company. We explained what was happening and requested he ask some very specific questions. He agreed.As expected, she had no legal representation and sat for the deposition by herself. She stated, under oath, that she had resigned because I refused to let her file a workers comp claim. The major mistake she made was, just like at the deposition, she laid it on thick. But in the opposite way. She talked about how much she loved the job and the people and how terrible I was, etc, etc.So, during the two depositions, she gave different answers to the same questions.Remember, if you are put under oath, which you are when giving a deposition, that oath is the same for everything. Meaning, you don’t get to tell one set of facts in one deposition and another set of facts at another deposition. Being under oath is being under oath. Period.So, armed with this worker’s comp deposition, we scheduled another deposition with her. Her attorney fought it, but there was nothing he could do because the judge, under the circumstances, would have compelled her to be deposed. So, my attorney put the workers comp deposition on the table and asked her questions from her workers comp deposition that contradicted her answers in our first deposition.My attorney absolutely crushed her.Unfortunately, the reality is if we had gone to trial, a jury could still have awarded her a ton of money. But she was now in a position where she had to decide if she was willing to risk getting nothing at trial or getting something in a settlement.She decided to settle with me. It cost me $75,000. Having to give some shithead $75,000 simply because of untrue accusations, pissed me off more than I can possibly convey to you. However, in employment law, this is the game. Employees win, even when nothing has happened.But I wasn’t finished with her.After working with my attorney on the release documents for the settlement, we decided to take the stance that most large companies take. That is to have the employee release the employer, but the employer does not release the employee. In other words, if you had a suit against GE, you would sign a release, releasing GE, but GE would not release you. It’s a fairly standard practice, maybe 50/50, in employment law to not release the employee. You can fight for the release as an employee, you might get it and you might not.So, the release was prepared and she signed. I specifically asked for her initials on every page so she couldn’t claim additional pages were put into the agreement after that fact.During this entire time, I had a PI looking into her new business being run out of my business. He found customers who signed declarations for me, he found invoices, he even found a location down the street where she had begun negotiating a lease for her new business. There were other things but this gives you a good idea of what I got on her.Because I hadn’t released her, I prepared my lawsuit. Not a counter suit, but a fresh new lawsuit.I thought it would be the ultimate irony to serve that lawsuit on her at her next workers comp meeting between her and the workers comp attorney.After she was served, our first meeting with her attorney was interesting. He gave us the nasty song and dance of “friviolous lawsuit” and “we’re going to sue you from here to kingdom come” and “when I’m done with your client…” blah, blah, blah.We went through another round of depositions and because of what I had uncovered, she was in a bad position and she knew it. Her attorney wanted to settle, he was a bit of an asshole and I remember he needled me a little bit at one settlement meeting.I lost my cool, it was calculated, but I stood up, slammed my hand on the desk and said something to the effect of, “Listen up motherfucker! Your client is a lying piece of shit! She lied under oath. I’ve got her dead to rights! I’m notifying the state she filed a frivolous unemployment claim. I’m notifying the workers comp company she filed a frivolous workers comp claim! I’m going to have my PI follow her and video her forever! The moment she does anything that shows she doesn’t have an injury, I’m going to sue her and her husband for conspiring to commit fraud! There will be no settlement. I want her ass!!! I want her living in her car! I want to take every worldly possession she has! After that, I’m coming for you and your license for knowingly representing her and knowingly helping her commit fraud on the state and perjuring herself in legal proceedings and in legal records!!”He and I ended up getting into a very heated debate where my attorney separated us and got me out of the building.Long story short, I settled with her for $150,000. That was enough to reimburse me for what I had paid her in my original settlement with her and it covered my legal fees. So it was a wash.But, unfortunately, she damaged the business. It required me to completely turn over the entire staff and rebuild the business over a 5 year period of time.In our settlement agreement, I insisted there would be no confidentiality or nondisclosure. I made sure both she and her attorney knew I wanted to be able to tell everyone I came into contact with, what she had done and what a piece of shit she had been.Of course they didn’t want that. I said, I get it or there is no settlement and we go to trial.Ultimately, I got what I wanted and we settled.Employment law is very tricky. Many times, there are statues for specific things that are different than the general EEOC laws. You have to have a great attorney to help you navigate these things or you will get yourself into serious trouble.You can see why employers don’t screw around with employees. The overwhelming majority of employees just do their job and then move on. But there are those few that are very devious and will sue the company in a heartbeat. The problem with a small company is that suit could put you out of business.As I said before, I have many stories, some similar to this. Others different but similarly as unethical and immoral.Unfortunately, my views on people in general have been heavily influenced by these types of employees. Prior to being in corporate America and a business owner, I would never have thought it was possible for people to be so dishonest. But, I have since learned they absolutely are and if given an opportunity, they will lie, cheat and steal to get what they want. And bury you in the process.**As a side note, this case is actually one of many listed on the Fisher & Phillips website, under the office and attorney’s I used.