Specifically, the Clayton Act prohibits:
* Price discrimination: Charging different prices for the same product or service to different customers, if the effect of doing so is to substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly.
* Exclusive dealing contracts: Requiring a customer to buy all or most of their supplies from a single supplier, if the effect of doing so is to substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly.
* Tying arrangements: Requiring a customer to buy one product or service in order to buy another product or service, if the effect of doing so is to substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly.
* Mergers and acquisitions: Acquiring or merging with another company, if the effect of doing so is to substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly.
The Clayton Act also gives the government the power to seek injunctions to stop anticompetitive practices and to order companies to divest themselves of assets that have been acquired in violation of the law.
The Clayton Act has been used to challenge a wide range of business practices, including:
* The merger of Standard Oil in 1911
* The exclusive dealing contracts of AT&T in the 1920s
* The tying arrangements of Microsoft in the 1990s
* The anticompetitive practices of Google in the 2010s
The Clayton Act is an important tool for the government to ensure that competition remains strong in the American economy. By preventing the formation of monopolies and other anticompetitive practices, the act helps to protect consumers and small businesses from being exploited.