Antitrust or competition laws aim to protect trade from unfair restraints, such as monopolies and price-fixing, and to promote competition for the benefit of consumers. The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice are the main enforcers of the U.S. antitrust laws. However, the main antitrust federal statutes – the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act, as amended by the Robinson-Patman Act – as well as many state antitrust laws provide for the private causes of action, enabling businesses and, in some instances, even consumers to file lawsuits for certain violations of the antitrust laws.
