Antitrust and Trade Regulation laws aim to promote free competition in the marketplace. Agreements or cooperative efforts by two or more entities that affects or restrains competitors is illegal under these laws. The Sherman Act makes illegal any contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce and makes monopolies and attempts, combinations, or conspiracies to monopolize illegal. The Clayton Act regulate price discrimination, tying and exclusive dealing contracts, stock acquisition and interlocking directorates.
Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Its population was listed as 2,351 for the 2000 census. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. A popular filming location for television and movies, the small town can be seen in the television shows "Dawson's Creek" and "Spies" and the movies "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Summer Catch," "Crimes of the Heart", and "A Walk to Remember," among others. It is the site of the proposed North Carolina International Port, and its marina has been the subject of media attention surrounding its possible sale.