reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 93 § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 2 - Definitions

Section 2. For purpose of this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings:  ''Attorney general'', the attorney general of the commonwealth and individuals designated by him in writing to act on his behalf in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.  ''Demand'', a civil investigative demand issued pursuant to section eight of this chapter.  ''Natural person'', not proprietorships, partnerships or any commercial entity.  ''New England'', the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  ''Person'', natural persons, corporations and other legal entities.  ''Trade or commerce'', the advertising, offering for sale, rent or lease, or the sale, rent, lease, furnishing or distribution of any service or any article, commodity or property, tangible or intangible, which directly and substantially affects the people of the commonwealth; provided, however, that trade or commerce shall not include the conveyance, transfer or use of real property.  ''Trade secrets'', anything which constitutes, represents, evidences, or records secret or confidential scientific, technical, merchandising, production, management or commercial information.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 3 - Jurisdiction

Section 3. Nothing in the Massachusetts Antitrust Act, hereinafter referred to as the Act, shall apply to any course of conduct, pattern of activity, or activities unless they occur and have their competitive impact primarily and predominantly within the commonwealth and at most, only incidentally outside New England, or any course of conduct, pattern of activity, or activities which are the subject of a formal investigation, proceeding or other assertion of federal jurisdiction by the Federal Trade Commission, the United States Department of Justice or other federal agency.  For purposes of the Act, the burden of establishing jurisdiction shall be upon the party asserting such jurisdiction with respect to any course of conduct, pattern of activity, or activities of any person of whose gross revenue at least ten per cent is derived from transactions involving interstate commerce outside of New England; as to any course of conduct, pattern of activity or activities of all other persons, the party asserting lack of jurisdiction under this chapter shall have the burden of establishing same.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 4 - Restraint of Trade or Commerce

Section 4. Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce in the commonwealth shall be unlawful.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 5 - Monopolies

Section 5. It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to monopolize, or attempt to monopolize or combine or conspire with any other person or persons to monopolize any part of trade or commerce in the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 6 - Discouraging Competition

Section 6. It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in trade or commerce, in the course thereof, to lease or make a sale or contract for sale of goods, wares, merchandise, machinery, supplies or other commodities, patented or unpatented, for use, consumption or resale in the commonwealth, or fix a price charged therefor, or discount from, or rebate upon, such price on the condition, agreement or understanding that the lessee or purchaser thereof shall not use or deal in the goods, wares, merchandise, machinery, supplies or other commodities of a competitor or competitors of the lessor or seller, where the effect of such lease, sale or contract for sale or such condition, agreement or understanding may be to lessen substantially competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of trade or commerce in the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 7 - Exemptions

Section 7. No provision of this Act shall apply to (a) Any activities which are exempt from any of the federal antitrust laws or the Federal Trade Commission Act other than by reason of the absence of a sufficient involvement of or impact upon interstate commerce; (b) Any activities which are subject to regulation or supervision by state or federal agencies; or (c) Any activities authorized or approved under federal, state or local law.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 9 - Civil Actions by Attorney General

Section 9. The attorney general may bring a civil action in the name of the commonwealth to prevent and restrain violations of section four, five or six of this chapter; as parens patriae on behalf of natural persons residing in the commonwealth, to secure monetary relief for damages sustained by such natural persons to their property by reason of any violation of section four; and on behalf of the commonwealth and its public agencies and political subdivisions for damages sustained, together with costs of suit, for injuries to their property by reason of violations of section four, five or six; provided, however, that unless the attorney general has brought a criminal complaint pursuant to section ten, the attorney general may bring a civil action in the name of the commonwealth to recover a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars for any course of conduct, pattern of activity or activities which violate section four, five or six. In any action brought on behalf of the commonwealth and its public agencies and political subdivisions for damages sustained to their property, if the court finds that the violation was engaged in with malicious intent to injure the commonwealth, public agency or political subdivision, the court may award up to three times the amount of actual damages sustained together with the costs of suit, including reasonable attorneys fees.  In any parens patriae action brought under this section where there has been a judicial determination that a defendant agreed to fix prices in violation of section four of this chapter, damages may be proved and assessed in the aggregate by statistical or sampling methods or by such other reasonable system of estimating aggregate damages as the court permits; a final judgment shall be res judicata as to any claim by any person on whose behalf such action was brought; and any monetary recovery shall be distributed in such manner as the court in its discretion may authorize or may be deemed by the court to be a civil penalty.  The superior court shall have jurisdiction of actions brought under this section. Such actions may be brought in any county where a defendant resides or has his principal place of business or in which the violation occurred in whole or in part, or with the consent of a defendant, the superior court for Suffolk county.  The attorney general may conclude any civil action brought under this section, or any investigation commenced or contemplated under section eight, by the acceptance of a written assurance of discontinuance or consent decree. Any consent decree shall be filed with the superior court and shall constitute a final judgment.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 10 - Violations of Secs. 4 or 5 With Intent to Injure Person; Punishment; Jurisdiction

Section 10. Any person who knowingly violates sections four or five with specific intent to injure any person, or knowingly aids or participates in such violation with specific intent to injure any person, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars if a corporation, or, if any other person, by a fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.  The superior court shall have jurisdiction of actions brought under this section. Such actions shall be brought by the attorney general in the county in which said violation occurred in whole or in part.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 11 - Judgment or Decree as Prima Facie Evidence; Effect on Public Contracts

Section 11. A final judgment or decree rendered in any civil or criminal proceeding brought by the attorney general under this chapter to the effect that a defendant has violated this chapter shall be prima facie evidence against such defendant in any action or proceeding brought by any other party against such defendant under this chapter as to all matters respecting which said judgment or decree would be an estoppel as between the parties thereto; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to consent judgments or decrees, or settlements which have not been fully litigated to their conclusion, none of which shall constitute either an admission or prima facie evidence. If a final judgment or decree is rendered in any civil or criminal proceeding brought by the attorney general under this chapter to the effect that a defendant has violated section four, the commonwealth or any city or town may void, rescind or cancel any contract to which the violation pertains or relates, and which was entered into with said defendant.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 12 - Civil Actions; Treble Damages; Attorneys Fees; Injunction; Stay

Section 12. Any person who shall be injured in his business or property by reason of a violation of the provisions of this chapter may sue therefor and recover the actual damages sustained, together with the costs of suit, including reasonable attorney fees. If the court finds that the violation was engaged in with malicious intent to injure said person, the court may award up to three times the amount of actual damages sustained, together with the costs of suit, including reasonable attorneys fees.  Any person may sue for injunctive relief to prevent threatened damage to his business or property under the same conditions and principles as injunctive relief is granted by courts of equity.  Commencement of an action by the attorney general under section nine, whereunder the attorney general acts as parens patriae on behalf of natural persons residing in the commonwealth, shall serve to stay any civil action under this section or under the provisions of chapter ninety-three A on behalf of said natural persons against the same defendant which is based in whole or in part on any matter complained of in the action commenced by the attorney general.  The superior court shall have jurisdiction of actions brought under this section. Such actions may be brought in any county where a defendant resides or has his principal place of business or in which the violation occurred in whole or in part, or, with the consent of a defendant, in the superior court for Suffolk county.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 13 - Limitations of Actions

Section 13. An action brought to enforce the provisions of this Act shall be barred unless commenced within four years after the cause of action accrued.  Whenever any civil or criminal proceedings shall be commenced by the commonwealth under this Act, the running of the statute of limitations with respect to every private right of action arising under this Act and based in whole or in part on any matter complained of in said proceedings shall be suspended during the pendency thereof and for one year thereafter; provided, however, that whenever the running of the statute of limitations with respect to a cause of action is suspended, any action to enforce such cause of action shall forever be barred unless commenced either within the period of suspension or within four years after the cause of action accrued.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14a - Effect of Massachusetts Antitrust Act Upon Consumer Protection Laws

Section 14A. The Massachusetts Antitrust Act shall have no effect upon the provisions of chapter ninety-three A, except as explicitly provided in said chapter ninety-three A.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14f - Unfair Sales; Sales at Less Than Cost; Penalties

Section 14F. Any retailer who, with intent to injure competitors or destroy competition, advertises, offers to sell or sells at retail any item of merchandise at less than cost to the retailer, together with any sales taxes or excises levied or imposed upon such merchandise by the commonwealth or the United States of America not already included in the invoice or replacement cost to the retailer, or any wholesaler who, with intent as aforesaid, advertises, offers to sell or sells at wholesale any item of merchandise at less than cost to the wholesaler, together with any sales taxes or excises levied or imposed upon such merchandise by the commonwealth or the United States of America not already included in the invoice or replacement cost to the wholesaler, shall, if the offender is an individual, be punished by a fine or not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not less than one month nor more than one year, or both; or, if the offender is a corporation, by a fine as aforesaid. Evidence of any advertisement, offer to sell or sale of any item of merchandise by any retailer or wholesaler at less than cost to him, together with any sales taxes or excises levied or imposed upon such merchandise by the commonwealth or the United States of America not already included in the invoice or replacement cost to him, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to injure competitors or destroy competition.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14g (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14g - Advertising or Offering to Sell or Selling at Retail or Wholesale Excepted

Section 14G. Sections fourteen E and fourteen F and sections fourteen H to fourteen K, inclusive, shall not apply with respect to advertising or offering to sell, or selling, at retail or at wholesale, as the case may be, if done (a) in an isolated transaction and not in the usual course of business; (b) where merchandise is sold in bona fide clearance sales, if advertised or offered for sale as such or marked and sold as such, or where merchandise is marked down in an effort to sell the same after bona fide efforts to sell the same prior to such markdown; (c) where perishable merchandise must be sold promptly in order to forestall loss; (d) where merchandise is imperfect or damaged or its sale is being discontinued, if advertised or offered for sale as such or marked and sold as such; (e) where merchandise is advertised or offered for sale or sold upon the final liquidation of any business; (f) where merchandise is advertised or offered for sale or sold for charitable purposes or to relief agencies; (g) where merchandise is sold on contract to any department, board or commission of the commonwealth or of any political subdivision thereof, or to any institution maintained thereby; (h) where the price of merchandise is made in good faith to meet the lower lawful price of a competitor which is based on a bona fide mark-up over a lower legal cost to the competitor as defined in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of section fourteen E; or (i) where merchandise is advertised or offered for sale or sold by any fiduciary or other officer acting under the order or direction of any court.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14h (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14h - Injunction; Duties of District Attorneys

Section 14H. Upon complaint of any person, the superior court shall have jurisdiction to restrain and enjoin any act forbidden or declared illegal by any provision of sections fourteen E to fourteen K, inclusive; and it shall be the duty of the several district attorneys, in their respective districts, to enforce, and restrain the violation of, said sections.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14i (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14i - Conflict of Laws

Section 14I. Whenever the application of any provision of any other law of the commonwealth, except chapter sixty-four C, conflicts with the application of any provision of sections fourteen E to fourteen K, inclusive, said sections shall prevail. If any provision of said sections conflicts with the provisions of said chapter sixty-four C the provisions of said chapter shall prevail.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14j (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14j - Partial Invalidity

Section 14J. If any provision of said sections fourteen E to fourteen K, inclusive, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, shall be held invalid, the remainder of said sections, or the application of such provisions to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14k (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14k - Unfair Sales Act; Short Title Applicable to Secs. 14e to 14k

Section 14K. Sections 14E to 14K, inclusive, shall be known, and may be cited, as the ''Unfair Sales Act''.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14l (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14l - Definitions Applicable to Secs. 14m to 14r

Section 14L. The following words as used in this section and in sections fourteen M to fourteen R, inclusive, shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following meanings:—  ''Trading stamp'', any stamp or similar device issued in connection with the retail sale of merchandise or service, as a cash discount or for any other marketing purpose, which entitles the rightful holder, on its due presentation for redemption, to receive merchandise, service or cash. This term, however, shall not mean any redeemable device used by the manufacturer or packer of an article in advertising or selling it, or any redeemable device issued and redeemed by a newspaper, magazine or other publication.  ''Trading stamp company'', any person engaged in distributing trading stamps for retail issuance by others, or in redeeming trading stamps for retailers, in any way or under any guise.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14m (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14m - Distribution and Redemption of Trading Stamps; Printing; Minimum Value

Section 14M. No trading stamp company shall distribute trading stamps in the commonwealth or shall redeem trading stamps issued therein, unless each such stamp has legibly printed upon its face in cents or any fraction thereof a cash value as determined by said company. The said company shall, at the option of the rightful holder of such stamps, redeem the stamps in cash when duly presented for redemption in a number having an aggregate cash value of not less than twenty-five cents.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14o (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14o - New Bonds; Liability

Section 14O. On the effective date of each new bond filed with the statement of registration, all liability on bonds previously filed shall terminate, and in the event of default by the trading stamp company to redeem such stamps the rightful holders of trading stamps shall file their proofs of claim with the state treasurer and shall have their claims satisfied, as provided in section fourteen Q, solely from the principal sum of the new bond.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14p (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14p - Cessation of Business; Conditions Precedent

Section 14P. No trading stamp company shall cease the distribution and redemption of trading stamps in the commonwealth unless it notifies the state treasurer in writing at least ninety days prior to such cessation, and gives such written notice at such time to each retailer within the commonwealth which has at any time theretofore within one year issued trading stamps which the company is obligated to redeem.
MA Gen L ch 93 § 14q (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XV - Regulation of Trade|Chapter 93 - Regulation of Trade and Certain Enterprises|Section 14q - Redemption of Stamps; Defaults; Procedure

Section 14Q. In the event a trading stamp company defaults in the performance of its obligation to redeem trading stamps, any rightful holder shall be entitled to file within three months after such default a complaint with the state treasurer. Upon the filing of any such complaint the state treasurer shall forthwith make a determination whether there has been a default. If he shall determine that there has been such a default he shall give notice of such determination by publishing the same in three consecutive publications of one or more newspapers published in the city of Boston and having general circulation throughout the commonwealth and therein require that proof of all claims for breach of the obligation upon the performance of which the bond is conditioned shall be filed with him, together with the trading stamps upon which the claim is based, within three months after the date of the first such publication. The state treasurer promptly after the expiration of such period shall determine the validity of all claims so filed. Thereupon the state treasurer shall be paid by the surety such amount as shall be necessary to satisfy all valid claims so filed, not exceeding, however, the principal sum of the bond, and the state treasurer shall make an equitable distribution of the proceeds of the bond to such claimants and shall destroy the trading stamps so filed with him.