{"id":373701,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/maine-law\/maine-antitrust-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:51:16","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:51:16","slug":"maine-antitrust-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/maine-law\/maine-antitrust-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Maine Antitrust Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Maine Antitrust Laws<\/h1>\n
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Antitrust laws are intended to prevent corporations<\/a> from acquiring competitors to the point where consumers are left without real choices. This often results in less competition and higher prices. Typically, antitrust laws<\/a> are invoked when a company announces a merger or acquisition<\/a> of another large company, creating a virtual monopoly.<\/p>\n

Where Did Antitrust Laws Originate?<\/h2>\n

The first antitrust law enacted in the U.S. was the Sherman Antitrust Act<\/a> in 1890. Considered the most significant of the federal antitrust laws, the Sherman Act was intended to combat the "business trusts" of the American economy during the late nineteenth century, and to this day it remains the bedrock of antitrust enforcement in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Maine Antitrust Laws<\/h2>\n

State laws also prohibit monopolies. Modeled on federal statutory provisions, Maine antitrust laws prohibit:<\/p>\n