FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT: This antitrust law passed in 1914 created the Federal Trade Commission to clarify which practices and activities were illegal under antitrust laws. The Federal Trade Commission Act was one of three major antitrust laws passed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The other two were the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act. In particular, the Federal Trade Commission was responsible for setting the standards for what constituted unfair competition and for investigating business activities that might lead to monopolization of a market or restraint of trade. The Whealer-Lea Act, passed in 1938, was a major amendment t the Federal Trade Commission Act. See also | antitrust laws | Federal Trade Commission | antitrust | trust | monopoly | Sherman Act | Clayton Act | Whealer-Lea Act | unfair competition |