What are antitrust violations?
Antitrust violations are behaviors that violate United States antitrust laws, which were designed to prevent behavior that stifles business competition and eliminate unfair business practices. These laws, which were developed in response to the growth of big business at the end of the 19th century, are associated with tenets of consumer protection and the open market. Notable United States antitrust laws include the Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. §1-7), which outlawed conspiracies that restrain interstate or foreign commerce, and the Clayton Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. § 12-27), which outlawed monopolies and anti-competitive agreements. However, some groups and activities are exempt from antitrust laws: these include labor unions, public utilities, hospitals, public transit and water systems and suppliers of military equipment. Antitrust crimes can include predatory pricing (in which a firm sets an extremely low price for their product in order to prevent new suppliers from entering the
