Title 15, Commerce and TradeRelease 119-102

§2 Monopolizing Trade a Felony; Penalty

Title 15 › CHAPTER 1 — MONOPOLIES AND COMBINATIONS IN RESTRAINT OF TRADE › § 2

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Trying to control interstate or international trade, or conspiring with others to do that, is a felony punishable by up to 10 years' prison and fines: $100,000,000 for corporations, $1,000,000 for others.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §2

Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

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 $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 substituted “$100,000,000” for “$10,000,000”, “$1,000,000” for “$350,000”, and “10” for “three”. 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 dollars”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 2

Title 15, Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102