{"id":375844,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/oregon-law\/oregon-antitrust-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:48:40","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:48:40","slug":"oregon-antitrust-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/oregon-law\/oregon-antitrust-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Oregon Antitrust Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Oregon Antitrust Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last reviewed\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

As consumers, we can all understand how businesses artificially inflating or fixing prices to prevent new businesses from developing or charging exuberant amounts for necessary goods during a disaster (price gouging<\/a>) is terribly unfair. It\u2019s also illegal. Federal and state antitrust<\/a> laws prevent businesses from these types of bad acts. <\/p>\n

The major federal laws in this area are the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Clayton Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act. These antitrust laws stop the harmful effects of monopolies and lack of business competition by prohibiting things like bid rigging for contracts, creating monopolies, boycotting a company within an industry to prevent new competitors from succeeding, etc.<\/p>\n

Oregon also regulates trade through antitrust laws. The following table explains some of the main antitrust laws<\/a> in Oregon that consumers want to know.<\/p>\n\n
Code Sections<\/b><\/td>\nOregon Revised Statutes Chapter 646 \u2013 Trade Practices and Antitrust Regulation<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>
What is Prohibited?<\/b><\/td>\nMany business behaviors that restrain free markets are prohibited by Oregon law, including, but not limited to:
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  • Monopolies or combining to monopolize any part of a trade<\/li>\n
  • Contracts or conspiracies to restrain trade<\/li>\n
  • Price discrimination between different purchasers to lessen competition in any line of commerce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Private Lawsuits<\/b><\/td>\nOregon law does permit a private lawsuit against an antitrust law violator. The Oregon Department of Justice<\/a> is the agency with the power to enforce these laws. For example, the Attorney General sued a number of LCD manufactures starting in 2010 for antitrust violations with LCD products. Individual consumers can also sue for equitable relief, such as financial losses they incurred due to the antitrust acts.<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Time Limit to Bring Claim<\/b><\/td>\nThe time limit to sue an antitrust violator, also known as the statute of limitations<\/a>, is four years or within one year after the end of any cases based on the same matter in federal court.<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Attorney Fees<\/b><\/td>\nThe state and individual consumers<\/a> can have their reasonable attorney’s fees, expert’s fees, and investigative fees paid by the defendant(s) if they win their case. Defendants can also be awarded attorney\u2019s fees and other fees when there was no objectively reasonable basis for the antitrust lawsuit by the Attorney General.<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n

If you feel a company or companies violated antitrust laws in Oregon, you should consult with an experienced local antitrust lawyer<\/a> to learn more about your options to sue.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/i><\/b> Federal and state laws often change, which is why it\u2019s important to conduct your own legal research to verify any law(s) you\u2019re researching or contact a knowledgeable attorney.<\/i><\/p>\n

Research the Law<\/h2>\n