Eric Rasmusen, erasmuse@indiana.edu
This file contains overheads for G406 for antitrust laws. When printed, it will break into pages suitable for overheads. When viewed as HTML on a computer, it will look like one big file.
For the laws the Justice Dept. enforces, go to:
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/foia/divisionmanual/ch2.htm.
Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise,
or conspiracy, in
restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with
foreign nations, is
declared to be illegal. Every person who shall make any contract
or engage in any
combination or conspiracy hereby declared to be illegal shall be
deemed guilty of a
felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not
exceeding $10,000,000 if
a corporation, or, if any other person, $350,000, or by
imprisonment not exceeding three
years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the
court.
§ 2 Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2
Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty
Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $10,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $350,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding three years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.
Discrimination in price, services, or facilities
(a) Price; selection of customers
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, either directly or indirectly, to discriminate in price between different purchasers of commodities of like grade and quality, where either or any of the purchases involved in such discrimination are in commerce, where such commodities are sold for use, consumption, or resale within the United States or any Territory thereof or the District of Columbia or any insular possession or other place under the jurisdiction of the United States, and where the effect of such discrimination may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce, or to injure, destroy, or prevent competition with any person who either grants or knowingly receives the benefit of such discrimination, or with customers of either of them: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall prevent differentials which make only due allowance for differences in the cost of manufacture, sale, or delivery resulting from the differing methods or quantities in which such commodities are to such purchasers sold or delivered: Provided, however, That the Federal Trade Commission may, after due investigation and hearing to all interested parties, fix and establish quantity limits, and revise the same as it finds necessary, as to particular commodities or classes of commodities, where it finds that available purchasers in greater quantities are so few as to render differentials on account thereof unjustly discriminatory or promotive of monopoly in any line of commerce; and the foregoing shall then not be construed to permit differentials based on differences in quantities greater than those so fixed and established: And provided further, That nothing herein contained shall prevent persons engaged in selling goods, wares, or merchandise in commerce from selecting their own customers in bona fide transactions and not in restraint of trade: And provided further, That nothing herein contained shall prevent price changes from time to time where in response to changing conditions affecting the market for or the marketability of the goods concerned, such as but not limited to actual or imminent deterioration of perishable goods, obsolescence of seasonal goods, distress sales under court process, or sales in good faith in discontinuance of business in the goods concerned.
(b) Burden of rebutting prima-facie case of discrimination
Upon proof being made, at any hearing on a complaint under this section, that there has been discrimination in price or services or facilities furnished, the burden of rebutting the prima-facie case thus made by showing justification shall be upon the person charged with a violation of this section, and unless justification shall be affirmatively shown, the Commission is authorized to issue an order terminating the discrimination: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall prevent a seller rebutting the prima-facie case thus made by showing that his lower price or the furnishing of services or facilities to any purchaser or purchasers was made in good faith to meet an equally low price of a competitor, or the services or facilities furnished by a competitor.
(c) Payment or acceptance of commission, brokerage, or
other compensation
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce, in
the course of such
commerce, to pay or grant, or to receive or accept, anything of
value as a commission,
brokerage, or other compensation, or any allowance or discount in
lieu thereof, except for
services rendered in connection with the sale or purchase of
goods, wares, or merchandise,
either to the other party to such transaction or to an agent,
representative, or other
intermediary therein where such intermediary is acting in fact
for or in behalf, or is
subject to the direct or indirect control, of any party to such
transaction other than the
person by whom such compensation is so granted or paid.
(d) Payment for services or facilities for processing or sale
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce to pay or contract for the payment of anything of value to or for the benefit of a customer of such person in the course of such commerce as compensation or in consideration for any services or facilities furnished by or through such customer in connection with the processing, handling, sale, or offering for sale of any products or commodities manufactured, sold, or offered for sale by such person, unless such payment or consideration is available on proportionally equal terms to all other customers competing in the distribution of such products or commodities.
(e) Furnishing services or facilities for processing,
handling, etc.
It shall be unlawful for any person to discriminate in favor of one purchaser against another purchaser or purchasers of a commodity bought for resale, with or without processing, by contracting to furnish or furnishing, or by contributing to the furnishing of, any services or facilities connected with the processing, handling, sale, or offering for sale of such commodity so purchased upon terms not accorded to all purchasers on proportionally equal terms.
(f) Knowingly inducing or receiving discriminatory price
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, knowingly to induce or receive a discrimination in price which is prohibited by this section.
Discrimination in rebates, discounts, or advertising
service charges; underselling
in particular localities; penalties, 15 U.S.C. § 13a
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to be a party to, or assist in, any transaction of sale, or contract to sell, which discriminates to his knowledge against competitors of the purchaser, in that, any discount, rebate, allowance, or advertising service charge is granted to the purchaser over and above any discount, rebate, allowance, or advertising service charge available at the time of such transaction to said competitors in respect of a sale of goods of like grade, quality, and quantity; to sell, or contract to sell, goods in any part of the United States at prices lower than those exacted by said person elsewhere in the United States for the purpose of destroying competition, or eliminating a competitor in such part of the United States; or, to sell, or contract to sell, goods at unreasonably low prices for the purpose of destroying competition or eliminating a competitor.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this section
shall, upon conviction
thereof, be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more
than one year, or both.
§ 3 Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 14
Sale, etc., on agreement not to use goods of competitor
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in commerce, in
the course of such
commerce, to lease or make a sale or contract for sale of goods,
wares, merchandise,
machinery, supplies, or other commodities, whether patented or
unpatented, for use,
consumption, or resale within the United States or any Territory
thereof or the District
of Columbia or any insular possession or other place under the
jurisdiction of the United
States, or fix a price charged therefor, or discount from, or
rebate upon, such price, on
the condition, agreement, or understanding that the lessee or
purchaser thereof shall not
use or deal in the goods, wares, merchandise, machinery,
supplies, or other commodities of
a competitor or competitors of the lessor or seller, where the
effect of such lease, sale,
or contract for sale or such condition, agreement, or
understanding may be to
substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in
any line of commerce.
§7 Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18
(not 4, as in Viscusi)Acquisition by one corporation of stock of another
No person engaged in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce shall acquire, directly or indirectly, the whole or any part of the stock or other share capital and no person subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission shall acquire the whole or any part of the assets of another person engaged also in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce, where in any line of commerce or in any activity affecting commerce in any section of the country, the effect of such acquisition may be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly.
No person shall acquire, directly or indirectly, the whole or any part of the stock or other share capital and no person subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission shall acquire the whole or any part of the assets of one or more persons engaged in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce, where in any line of commerce or in any activity affecting commerce in any section of the country, the effect of such acquisition, of such stocks or assets, or of the use of such stock by the voting or granting of proxies or otherwise, may be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly.
This section shall not apply to persons purchasing such stock solely for investment and not using the same by voting or otherwise to bring about, or in attempting to bring about, the substantial lessening of competition. Nor shall anything contained in this section prevent a corporation engaged in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce from causing the formation of subsidiary corporations for the actual carrying on of their immediate lawful business, or the natural and legitimate branches or extensions thereof, or from owning and holding all or a part of the stock of such subsidiary corporations, when the effect of such formation is not to substantially lessen competition.