Mississippi § 75-21-1 - Trust and combine; defined.

§ 75-21-1. Trust and combine; defined.

A trust or combine is a combination, contract, understanding or agreement, expressed or implied, between two or more persons, corporations or firms or association of persons or between any one or more of either with one or more of the others, when inimical to public welfare and the effect of which would be: To restrain trade; To limit, increase or reduce the price of a commodity; To limit, increase or reduce the production or output of a commodity; To hinder competition in the production, importation, manufacture, transportation, sale or purchase of a commodity; To engross or forestall a commodity; To issue, own or hold the certificate of stock of any trust and combine within the spirit of this chapter knowing it to be such at the time of the issue or the acquisition or holding such certificate; or To place the control to any extent of business or of the proceeds or earnings thereof, contrary to the spirit and meaning of this chapter, in the power of trustees, by whatever name called; or To enable or empower any other person than themselves, their proper officers, agents and employees to dictate or control the management of business, contrary to the spirit and meaning of this chapter; or To unite or pool interest in the importation, manufacture, production, transportation, or price of a commodity, contrary to the spirit and meaning of this chapter. Any corporation, domestic or foreign, or any partnership, or individual, or other association, or person whatsoever, who are now, or shall hereafter create, enter into, become a member of, or a party to any trust or combine as hereinabove defined shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of a conspiracy to defraud and shall be subject to the penalties hereinafter provided. Any person, association of persons, corporation, or corporations, domestic or foreign, who shall be a party or belong to a trust and combine shall be guilty of crime and upon conviction thereof shall, for a first offense be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) and for a second or subsequent offense not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), and may be enjoined by a final decree of the chancery court, in a suit by the state on the relation of the attorney general, from the further prosecution of or doing of the acts constituting the trust and combine as defined in this chapter.