Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73
§3 Trusts in Territories or District of Columbia illegal; combination a felony
Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - MONOPOLIES AND COMBINATIONS IN RESTRAINT OF TRADE › § 3
Summary
Makes it a crime to make trusts, agreements, or plans that limit or control trade in any U.S. Territory or the District of Columbia, or trade between those places and any State or foreign country. It also makes it a crime to monopolize or try to monopolize that trade. Anyone convicted is guilty of a felony. A corporation can be fined up to $100,000,000. Any other person can be fined up to $1,000,000. A court can also send someone to prison for up to 10 years, or impose both a fine and prison time.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §3
Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Every contract, combination in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce in any Territory of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or in restraint of trade or commerce between any such Territory and another, or between any such Territory or Territories and any State or States or the District of Columbia, or with foreign nations, or between the District of Columbia and any State or States or foreign nations, is declared illegal. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $100,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $1,000,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.
(b)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 in any Territory of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or between any such Territory and another, or between any such Territory or Territories and any State or States or the District of Columbia, or with foreign nations, or between the District of Columbia, and any State or States or foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $100,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $1,000,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2004—Pub. L. 108–237, which directed the substitution of “$100,000,000” for “$10,000,000”, “$1,000,000” for “$350,000”, and “10” for “three”, was executed by making each substitution in both subsecs. (a) and (b) to reflect the probable intent of Congress. 2002—Pub. L. 107–273 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b). 1990—Pub. L. 101–588 substituted “$10,000,000” for “one million dollars” and “$350,000” for “one hundred thousand dollars”. 1974—Pub. L. 93–528 substituted “a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding one million dollars if a corporation, or, if any other person, one hundred thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding three years” for “a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year”. 1955—Act July 7, 1955, substituted “fifty thousand dollars” for “five thousand”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2002 Amendment Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title IV, § 14103, Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1922, provided that: “(a)
Effective Date
.—Except as provided in subsection (b), this subtitle [probably means this title, amending this section and section 12, 27, and 44 of this title, section 225 of Title 7, Agriculture, section 1413 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining, and section 2135 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, repealing section 30 and 31 of this title, enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1 of this title, amending provisions set out as notes under section 1 and 8 of this title, and repealing provisions set out as notes under section 15 of this title and section 41309 of Title 49, Transportation] and the
Amendments
made by this subtitle shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 2, 2002]. “(b) Application to Cases.—(1) section 14102(f) [repealing section 30 of this title] shall apply to cases pending on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. “(2) The
Amendments
made by subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 14102 [amending this section and section 12 and 44 of this title, section 225 of Title 7, Agriculture, section 1413 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining, and section 2135 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, repealing section 31 of this title, amending provisions set out as a note under section 8 of this title, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 15 of this title] shall apply only with respect to cases commenced on or after the date of enactment of this Act.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 3
Title 15 — Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73