15 U.S.C. § 4
Section 4 · Jurisdiction of courts; duty of United States attorneys; procedure
This is § 4 of the Sherman Antitrust Act
Amended 3 times on record
Applied in 797 court decisions — leading case United States v. E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co. (1956)
Most recently applied in Wudi Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. v. Wai Wong (July 2025)
Applied most in the Third Circuit Circuit (36 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 4 U.S.C. § 4 · 9 U.S.C. § 4 · 12 U.S.C. § 4
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
The several district courts of the United States are invested with jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations of sections 1 to 7 of this title; and it shall be the duty of the several United States attorneys, in their respective districts, under the direction of the Attorney General, to institute proceedings in equity to prevent and restrain such violations. Such proceedings may be by way of petition setting forth the case and praying that such violation shall be enjoined or otherwise prohibited. When the parties complained of shall have been duly notified of such petition the court shall proceed, as soon as may be, to the hearing and determination of the case; and pending such petition and before final decree, the court may at any time make such temporary restraining order or prohibition as shall be deemed just in the premises.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Codification
Act Mar. 3, 1911, vested jurisdiction in “district” courts, instead of “circuit” courts.
Change of Name
Act June 25, 1948, eff. Sept. 1, 1948, substituted “United States attorneys” for “district attorneys of the United States”. See section 541 et seq. of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Commencement of action by filing a complaint with the court, see rule 3, Title 28, Appendix, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
Injunctions, see rule 65.
One form of action, see rule 2.
Pleadings allowed, see rule 7.
Rules as governing the procedure in all suits of a civil nature whether cognizable as cases at law or in equity, see rule 1.
Cross References
Issuance of injunctions in labor disputes, see sections 52 and 107 of Title 29, Labor.
Restraining trusts in restraint of import trade, see section 9 of this title.
Restraining violations of Clayton Act, see sections 25 and 26 of this title.