Record STMT-WFA52CCLegally binding

Act on Prohibition of Private Monopolization and Maintenance of Fair Trade

Legislation State lawEastern Asia · JPin forceNot AI-specific

The Act on Prohibition of Private Monopolization and Maintenance of Fair Trade prohibits private monopolization, unreasonable restraints of trade, and unfair trade practices to promote fair competition, protect consumers, and stimulate the economy. It establishes the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) to oversee market activities, regulate business combinations and mergers, and enforce penalties including surcharges and criminal actions. The legislation provides structural provisions for investigating violations and maintaining competitive market conditions across commercial sectors in Japan.

Summary and content fields are drawn from the document text and are pending editorial review.

Who issued it

Japan Fair Trade CommissionRegulator · JP

Lead issuer

Legal forceLegally binding

Under whose authorityState law

Judged fromfull text

Who it governs

CompaniesGeneral publicRegulators

Legal professionals, corporate executives, and regulatory compliance officers must read this act to understand competition law and antitrust obligations in Japan.

Sectors

Cross-sector

What the document contains

What's covered

The document covers comprehensive antitrust regulations including prohibitions on private monopolization, unreasonable restraints of trade, trade association restrictions, rules on corporate mergers and shareholding thresholds, regulation of unfair trade practices, and the investigative and enforcement powers of the Fair Trade Commission.

What's missing

The text contains no specific provisions, definitions, or guidelines dedicated to artificial intelligence or automated decision-making systems.

Key takeaways

Private monopolization and unreasonable restraints of trade are strictly prohibited.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission is empowered to investigate violations, issue cease and desist orders, and levy surcharges.
Mergers, share acquisitions, and corporate splits exceeding specific domestic sales thresholds require advance notification to the Fair Trade Commission.
Unfair trade practices such as discriminatory pricing, resale price maintenance, and abuse of superior bargaining positions are prohibited.
Private parties may seek injunctions or claim damages for injuries resulting from antitrust violations.

Principles it states

Promotion of fair and free competitionStimulation of enterprise creative initiativeProtection of consumer interestsPrevention of excessive concentration of economic power

Outline

· Chapter I General Provisions
· Chapter II Private Monopolization and Unreasonable Restraint of Trade
· Chapter III Trade Associations
· Chapter III-2 Monopolistic Situations
· Chapter IV Shareholdings, Interlocking Officers, Mergers, Splits, Share Transfers and Acceptance of Assignments of Business
· Chapter V Unfair Trade Practices
· Chapter VI Exemptions
· Chapter VII Injunctions and Damages
· Chapter VIII Fair Trade Commission
· Chapter IX Legal Actions
· Chapter X Miscellaneous Provisions
· Chapter XI Penal Provisions
· Chapter XII Investigation of Criminal Cases, Etc.

Issued14 April 1947

Length43,533 words

FormatNot recorded

Scopenational

4/5

Consequences and compliance mechanisms with real force

Whenever an act in violation of the provisions of Article 3 or the preceding Article occurs, the Fair Trade Commission may, pursuant to the procedures provided in Section 2 of Chapter VIII, order the relevant enterprise to cease and desist the relevant act

Chapter II, Article 7 (1)

screening score · 2026-10-23

Impact Assessment

0/5

Required assessment of an AI system's risks/impacts before or during use

screening score · 2026-10-23

Topics

competition_law antitrust fair_trade monopoly market_regulation