Legal Definitions - Clayton Antitrust Act

The Clayton Antitrust Act is a law in the United States that was passed in 1914. It is one of the most important laws that helps prevent companies from becoming too powerful and controlling the market. The law was created to make the Sherman Antitrust Act stronger and more effective.

The Clayton Antitrust Act makes it illegal for companies to do certain things that could hurt competition. For example:

• Charge different prices to different companies for the same product
• Force a company to only buy from them and not from their competitors
• Merge with another company if it would make it hard for other companies to compete
• Be on the board of directors for two competing companies

If a company breaks the Clayton Antitrust Act, they can be sued by other companies or individuals who were harmed by their actions. The penalty for breaking the law is usually money, but sometimes a judge can order the company to stop doing what they were doing.

One example of a company that was sued for breaking the Clayton Antitrust Act is Microsoft. In the 1990s, Microsoft was accused of using its power to force computer manufacturers to only use its web browser, Internet Explorer, and not other browsers like Netscape. This made it hard for Netscape to compete and eventually led to its downfall. Microsoft was sued and had to change its practices.

Another example is when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Qualcomm, a company that makes chips for smartphones. The FTC accused Qualcomm of charging different prices to different companies for its chips, which made it hard for other chip makers to compete. Qualcomm was sued and had to change its practices.

These examples show how the Clayton Antitrust Act helps keep competition fair and prevents companies from becoming too powerful.