Definitions

15 U.S.C. § 1311

• Title: 15 — Commerce and Trade
• Chapter: 34 — ANTITRUST CIVIL PROCESS

Text

For the purposes of this chapter—
(a) The term "antitrust law" includes:
(1) Each provision of law defined as one of the antitrust laws by section 12 of this title; and
(2) Any statute enacted on and after September 19, 1962, by the Congress which prohibits, or makes available to the United States in any court of the United States any civil remedy with respect to any restraint upon or monopolization of interstate or foreign trade or commerce;
(b) The term "antitrust order" means any final order, decree, or judgment of any court of the United States, duly entered in any case or proceeding arising under any antitrust law;
(c) The term "antitrust investigation" means any inquiry conducted by any antitrust investigator for the purpose of ascertaining whether any person is or has been engaged in any antitrust violation or in any activities in preparation for a merger, acquisition, joint venture, or similar transaction, which, if consummated, may result in an antitrust violation;
(d) The term "antitrust violation" means any act or omission in violation of any antitrust law, any antitrust order or, with respect to the International Antitrust Enforcement Assistance Act of 1994 [15 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.], any of the foreign antitrust laws;
(e) The term "antitrust investigator" means any attorney or investigator employed by the Department of Justice who is charged with the duty of enforcing or carrying into effect any antitrust law;
(f) The term "person" means any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity, including any person acting under color or authority of State law;
(g) The term "documentary material" includes the original or any copy of any book, record, report, memorandum, paper, communication, tabulation, chart, or other document, and any product of discovery;
(h) The term "custodian" means the custodian or any deputy custodian designated under section 1313(a) of this title;
(i) The term "product of discovery" includes without limitation the original or duplicate of any deposition, interrogatory, document, thing, result of the inspection of land or other property, examination, or admission obtained by any method of discovery in any judicial litigation or in any administrative litigation of an adversarial nature; any digest, analysis, selection, compilation, or any derivation thereof; and any index or manner of access thereto; and
(j) The term "agent" includes any person retained by the Department of Justice in connection with the enforcement of the antitrust laws.
(k) The term "foreign antitrust laws" has the meaning given such term in section 12 of the International Antitrust Enforcement Assistance Act of 1994 [15 U.S.C. 6211].

History

(Pub. L. 87–664, §2, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 548; Pub. L. 94–435, title I, §101, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1383; Pub. L. 96–349, §§2(a), 7(a)(1), Sept. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 1154, 1158; Pub. L. 103–438, §3(e)(1)(A), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4598.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning Pub. L. 87–664, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note below and Tables.
The International Antitrust Enforcement Assistance Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 103–438, Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4597, which is classified principally to chapter 88 (§6201 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6201 of this title and Tables.

Amendments
1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–438, §3(e)(1)(A)(i), substituted ", any" for "or any" and inserted before semicolon at end "or, with respect to the International Antitrust Enforcement Assistance Act of 1994, any of the foreign antitrust laws".
Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 103–438, §3(e)(1)(A)(ii), added subsec. (k).
1980—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 96–349, §2(a)(1), extended definition of "documentary material" to include any product of discovery.
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 96–349, §2(a)(2), substituted a semicolon for period at end.
Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 96–349, §2(a)(3), added subsec. (i).
Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 96–349, §7(a)(1), added subsec. (j).
1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–435, §101(1), in par. (1) inserted "and" after semicolon preceding par. (2), struck out par. (2) which included the Federal Trade Commission Act in definition of antitrust law for purposes of this chapter, redesignated par. (3) as (2), struck out "(A)" before "any restraint", and struck out subpar. (B) which related to any unfair trade practice in or affecting interstate or foreign trade or commerce.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–435, §101(2), inserted "or in any activities in preparation for a merger, acquisition, joint venture, or similar transaction, which if consummated, may result in an antitrust violation;" after "engaged in any antitrust violation".
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 94–435, §101(3), included "any natural person" and "any person acting under color or authority of State law" in definition of "person".
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 94–435, §101(4), substituted "the custodian" for "the antitrust document custodian".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment
Pub. L. 94–435, title I, §106, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1390, provided that: "The amendments to the Antitrust Civil Process Act [see section 1 of Pub. L. 87–664 set out as a Short Title note under this section] and to section 1505 of title 18, United States Code, made by this title [title I of Pub. L. 94–435] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1976], except section 3(i)(8) of the Antitrust Civil Process Act [section 1312(i)(8) of this title] (as amended by this Act) shall take effect on the later of (1) the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1976], or (2) October 1, 1976. Any such amendment which provides for the production of documentary material, answers to interrogatories, or oral testimony shall apply to any act or practice without regard to the date on which it occurred."

Short Title of 1980 Amendment
Pub. L. 96–349, §1, Sept. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 1154, provided: "That this Act [amending sections 15, 15a, 15c, 16, 18, and 1311 to 1314 of this title, section 1905 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and section 1927 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 15, 16, and 18 of this title] may be cited as the 'Antitrust Procedural Improvements Act of 1980'."

Short Title
Pub. L. 87–664, §1, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 548, provided: "That this Act [enacting this chapter and amending section 1505 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure] may be cited as the 'Antitrust Civil Process Act'."

Savings Provision
Pub. L. 87–664, §7, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 552, provided that: "Nothing contained in this Act [see Short Title note above] shall impair the authority of the Attorney General, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, or any antitrust investigator to (a) lay before any grand jury impaneled before any district court of the United States any evidence concerning any alleged antitrust violation, (b) invoke the power of any such court to compel the production of any evidence before any such grand jury, or (c) institute any proceeding for the enforcement of any order or process issued in execution of such power, or to punish disobedience of any such order of process by any person, including a natural person."