The Antitrust Section staff investigates various types of anticompetitive conduct that is harmful to free and fair competition in the marketplace and, in most instances, harmful to Ohio consumers. Free and fair competition allows businesses to compete on price and quality on an equal playing field. Competition benefits consumers by providing them with lower prices and better quality products and services.
The Antitrust Section investigates conduct that investigative staff has reason to believe may violate the Valentine Act, Ohio’s antitrust law codified in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1331, as well as the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act, federal antitrust statutes. This unlawful conduct includes various types of collusive activity including: bid-rigging, price fixing, market allocation, territorial allocation, and group boycotts. Investigators also examine situations where vendors attempt to corrupt the public contracting process and gain an unfair advantage over competitors. Antitrust Section investigators also look into whether certain types of unilateral conduct is being administered in a way that is harmful to competition, such as predatory acts that tend to create a monopoly and tying of goods and/or services.
The antitrust laws apply to virtually all products and services in every industry. Investigations can range from conduct on a single transaction to large scale industry practices. Given the conduct subject to investigation and variation in the scope of individual investigations, each investigation is dynamic and requires careful planning and execution.
If you have information related to conduct occurring in Ohio that may violate state or federal antitrust laws, please contact an Antitrust Section investigator by calling (614) 466-4328 or sending an email to
AntitrustInvestigations@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.