In the United States, federal antitrust laws prohibit companies from engaging in commercial practices that have an anticompetitive effect on the market. Laws such as the Sherman Act include “private right of action” provisions that allow competitors and other interested parties to initiate civil litigation against companies suspected of engaging in anticompetitive conduct. However, antitrust compliance also falls within the realm of federal law enforcement, and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other federal authorities routinely investigate companies suspected of antitrust violations.