---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 2"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "2"
heading: "Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/2"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Monopolies and Combinations in Restraint of Trade"
---

# §2. Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty


Every [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) or [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6), to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several [States](/usc/15/15g.md?p=2), or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $100,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6), $1,000,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.


## Source credit

(July 2, 1890, ch. 647, § 2, 26 Stat. 209; July 7, 1955, ch. 281, 69 Stat. 282; Pub. L. 93–528, § 3, Dec. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 1708; Pub. L. 101–588, § 4(b), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2880; Pub. L. 108–237, title II, § 215(b), June 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 668.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–237 substituted “$100,000,000” for “$10,000,000”, “$1,000,000” for “$350,000”, and “10” for “three”.

1990—Pub. L. 101–588 substituted “$10,000,000” for “one million dollars” and “$350,000” for “one hundred thousand dollars”.

1974—Pub. L. 93–528 substituted “a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding one million dollars if a corporation, or, if any other person, one hundred thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding three years” for “a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year”.

1955—Act July 7, 1955, substituted “fifty thousand dollars” for “five thousand dollars”.