C.R.S. § 6-2-101 Short title
6-2-101. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Unfair Practices Act".
Unfair Practices Act
C.R.S. tit. 6, art. 2
in effectC.R.S. § 6-2-102 Legislative declaration
6-2-102. Legislative declaration. The general assembly declares that the purpose of this article is to safeguard the public against the creation or perpetuation of monopolies and to foster and encourage competition by prohibiting unfair and discriminatory practices by which fair and honest competition is destroyed or prevented. This article shall be liberally construed so that its beneficial purposes may be subserved.
C.R.S. § 6-2-103 Discriminatory sales - exceptions
6-2-103. Discriminatory sales - exceptions. (1) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation doing business in the state of Colorado and engaged in the production, manufacture, distribution, or sale of any commodity, product, or service of general use or consumption, or the sale of any merchandise or product by any public utility, with the intent to destroy the competition of any regular established dealer in such commodity, product, or service, or to prevent the competition of any person, firm, private corporation, or municipal or other public corporation that in good faith intends and attempts to become a dealer, to discriminate between different sections, communities, or cities, or portions thereof, or between different locations in such sections, communities, cities, or portions thereof in this state by selling or furnishing a commodity, product, or service at a lower rate in one section, community, or city, or any portion thereof, or in one location in such section, community, or city, or any portion thereof than in another after making allowance for the difference, if any, in the grade or quality, quantity, and actual cost of transportation from the point of production, if a raw product or commodity, or from the point of manufacture, if a manufactured product or commodity. Motion picture films when delivered under a lease to motion picture houses shall not be deemed to be a commodity or product of general use or consumption.
(2) Nothing in this article shall be construed to affect or apply to any service or product sold, rendered, or furnished by any public utility, the sale, rendition, or furnishing of which is subject to regulation by the Colorado public utilities commission or by any municipal regulatory body. This article shall not be construed to prohibit the meeting in good faith of a competitive rate.
(3) The inhibition in this section against locality discrimination shall embrace any scheme of special rebates, collateral contracts, or any device of any nature whereby such discrimination is, in substance or fact, effected in violation of the spirit and intent of this article.
(4) It is an unfair trade practice for any person, firm, or corporation doing business in this state and engaged in the production, manufacture, or distribution of either written or printed material or motion pictures to require a buyer or lessee, as a condition of the purchase or lease of such material or motion pictures, to accept other material or motion pictures which the buyer or lessee deems objectionable and written objection is made thereto by such buyer or lessee to the seller or lessor of said material or motion pictures within thirty days after delivery to said buyer or lessee. If such written objection is made within the time provided in this subsection (4), and the seller or lessor does not, within ten days of the receipt of said objection, repurchase or recall such objectionable material or motion pictures from the buyer or lessee, all the remedies provided in this article shall be applicable against said seller or lessor. The provisions of this subsection (4) shall apply whether the material or motion pictures are acquired by the buyer or lessee for resale, sublease, or for any other purpose.
C.R.S. § 6-2-104 Personal responsibility
6-2-104. Personal responsibility. (1) Any person who, either as director, officer, or agent of any firm or corporation or as agent of any person violating the provisions of this article, assists or aids, directly or indirectly, in such violation shall be responsible equally with the person, firm, or corporation for which he acts.
(2) In the prosecution of any person as officer, director, or agent, it shall be sufficient to allege and prove the unlawful intent of the person, firm, or corporation for which he acts.
C.R.S. § 6-2-105 Unlawful to sell below cost - definition
6-2-105. Unlawful to sell below cost - definition. (1) (a) It is unlawful for any person, partnership, firm, corporation, joint stock company, or other association engaged in business within this state to sell, offer for sale, or advertise for sale any product or service for less than the cost of the product or service with the intent to both injure competitors and destroy competition and where the likely result of such sale would be the acquisition or maintenance of a monopoly. A vendor who violates this section commits a class 2 misdemeanor.
(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 514, § 2, effective April 16, 2007.)
(2) For purposes of this section, "cost" means an appropriate determination of cost that is consistent with federal court interpretations of cost in federal predatory pricing cases under the federal "Sherman Act", 15 U.S.C. sec. 1 et seq.
(3) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2008, p. 2244, § 1, effective June 5, 2008.)
C.R.S. § 6-2-106 How cost established
6-2-106. How cost established. In establishing the cost of a given product to the distributor and vendor, the invoice cost of the product purchased at a forced, bankrupt, closeout sale, or other sale outside of the ordinary channels of trade may not be used as a basis for justifying a price lower than one based upon the replacement cost as of date of said sale of the product replaced through the ordinary channels of trade, unless the product is kept separate from goods purchased in the ordinary channels of trade and unless the product is advertised and sold as merchandise purchased at a forced, bankrupt, closeout sale, or by means other than through the ordinary channels of trade. The advertising shall state the conditions under which said goods were purchased and the quantity of such merchandise to be sold or offered for sale.
C.R.S. § 6-2-107 Allegation and proof - evidence
6-2-107. Allegation and proof - evidence. In any injunction proceeding or in the prosecution of any person as officer, director, or agent, it shall be sufficient to allege and prove the unlawful intent of the person, firm, or corporation for which he acts. Where a particular trade or industry of which the person, firm, or corporation complained against is a member has an established cost survey for the locality and vicinity in which the offense is committed, the cost survey shall be deemed competent evidence to be used in proving the costs of the person, firm, or corporation complained against within the provisions of this article.
C.R.S. § 6-2-108 Secret rebates or refunds prohibited
6-2-108. Secret rebates or refunds prohibited. The secret payment or allowance of rebates, refunds, commissions, or unearned discounts, whether in the form of money or otherwise, or secretly extending to certain purchasers special services or privileges not extended to all purchasers upon like terms and conditions, to the injury of a competitor and where such payment or allowance tends to destroy competition, is an unfair trade practice. Any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or association resorting to such unfair trade practice commits a class 2 misdemeanor.
C.R.S. § 6-2-109 Contract illegal - when
6-2-109. Contract illegal - when. Any contract, express or implied, made by any person, firm, or corporation in violation of any of the provisions of sections 6-2-103 to 6-2-108 is an illegal contract, and no recovery thereon shall be had; except that no part of this article shall prevent the payment of patronage refunds by cooperative agencies or associations existing and operating under the laws of this state.
C.R.S. § 6-2-110 When provisions not applicable
6-2-110. When provisions not applicable. (1) The provisions of sections 6-2-105 to 6-2-107 shall not apply to any sale made:
(a) In closing out in good faith the owner's stock or any part thereof for the purpose of discontinuing his trade in any such stock or commodity, and in the case of the sale of seasonal goods or the bona fide sale of perishable goods to prevent loss to the vendor by spoilage or depreciation, if notice is given to the public thereof;
(b) When the goods are damaged or deteriorated in quality and notice is given to the public thereof;
(c) By an officer acting under the orders of any court;
(d) In an endeavor made in good faith to meet the prices of a competitor selling the same product or service in the same locality or trade area.
(2) Any person, firm, or corporation who performs work upon, renovates, alters, or improves any personal property belonging to another person, firm, or corporation shall be construed to be a vendor within the meaning of this article.
C.R.S. § 6-2-111 Unlawful acts - remedy - license - rules
6-2-111. Unlawful acts - remedy - license - rules. (1) Any person, firm, private corporation, municipal corporation, public corporation, or trade association may maintain an action to enjoin a continuance of any act in violation of sections 6-2-103 to 6-2-108 or section 6-2-110 and, if injured thereby, for the recovery of damages. If, in such action, the court finds that the defendant is violating or has violated any of the provisions of sections 6-2-103 to 6-2-108 or section 6-2-110, it shall enjoin the defendant from a continuance of the violations. It shall not be necessary that actual damages to the plaintiff be alleged or proved. In addition to such injunctive relief, the plaintiff in said action shall be entitled to recover from the defendant three times the amount of the actual damages, if any, sustained.
(2) Without prejudice to the rights of any person, firm, private corporation, municipal corporation, public corporation, or trade association to bring an action, the attorney general of the state of Colorado, as an incident to and power of his or her office, has like powers to those provided in subsection (1) of this section, and it is his or her duty, upon showing by any person, firm, private corporation, municipal corporation, public corporation, or trade association that there is reason to believe that any person subject to the terms of this article is violating any term of sections 6-2-103 to 6-2-108 or section 6-2-110, to prosecute actions for violation of any provisions of this article, and to seek injunctions or restraining orders to enjoin the continuance thereof by any defendant.
(3) If any person, firm, private corporation, municipal corporation, public corporation, or trade association, in writing and under oath, submits to the attorney general a statement setting forth facts sufficient to constitute a prima facie case of violation of any of the provisions of sections 6-2-103 to 6-2-108 or any other provisions of this article, it is mandatory upon the attorney general to seek injunctive relief or restraining orders to enjoin the continuance of such violation by any person, firm, private corporation, or other organization so charged; and to this end, and for this purpose, the attorney general has the power to appear in his or her official capacity in any court in the state of Colorado, having jurisdiction in the premises, to seek relief.
(4) It is the duty of any district attorney in and for each of the judicial districts of the state of Colorado, when requested in writing by the attorney general, to advise and consult with the attorney general concerning the institution and prosecution of such actions, and to act for the attorney general in prosecution of any such action; but the attorney general has the power in his or her discretion to choose, select, appoint, and recompense from funds provided for the purposes of enforcement of the provisions of this article any attorney-at-law admitted to practice in the state of Colorado as a special prosecutor who has full and complete power to act for the attorney general.
(5) The attorney general, for the purposes of carrying out the terms and provisions of this article, has the power to promulgate rules and regulations for the enforcement of this article, not inconsistent with its terms, and to publish the same.
(6) The attorney general may appoint such personnel as may reasonably be required to carry out the functions prescribed for his or her office.
C.R.S. § 6-2-111.5 Civil discovery requests
6-2-111.5. Civil discovery requests. (1) When the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe that any person, partnership, firm, corporation, joint stock company, or other association has engaged in or is engaging in a violation of any provision of this article, the attorney general may:
(a) Request such person to file a statement or report in writing, under oath or otherwise, on forms prescribed by the attorney general, or to answer in writing, under oath or otherwise, any questions propounded by the attorney general as to all facts and circumstances reasonably related to the alleged violation, and to provide any other data and information the attorney general reasonably deems to be necessary;
(b) Issue subpoenas to require the attendance of witnesses or the production of relevant documents, administer oaths, conduct hearings in aid of an investigation or inquiry, and prescribe such forms and promulgate such rules as may reasonably be deemed to be necessary to administer the provisions of this article; and
(c) Make true copies, at the expense of the attorney general, of any documents examined pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), which copies may be offered into evidence in lieu of the originals thereof in any civil action brought pursuant to this article. The person producing the documents may require that the attorney general make copies of the documents. If the attorney general determines the use of originals is necessary, the attorney general shall pay to have copies of those documents made for use by the person producing the documents.
(2) Service of any request or subpoena shall be made in the manner prescribed by law.
(3) Any written response, testimony, or documents obtained by the attorney general pursuant to this section or any information derived directly or indirectly from such written response, testimony, or documents shall not be admissible in evidence in any criminal prosecution against the person providing the written response, testimony, or documents. The provisions of this subsection (3) shall not be construed to prevent any law enforcement officer having an independent basis therefor from producing or obtaining the same or similar facts, information, or evidence for use in any criminal prosecution.
(4) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the attorney general from disclosing information obtained pursuant to this section to any other law enforcement agency or department of any governmental or public entity of this or any other state or to the federal government if such other law enforcement agency or department executes an agreement that such information will remain confidential and will not be used in any criminal prosecution against the person providing the written response, testimony, or documents.
(5) If any person fails to appear or fails to cooperate with any investigation or inquiry pursuant to a request or subpoena issued pursuant to this section, the attorney general may apply to any district court for an appropriate order to effect the purposes of this section. The application shall state that there is reasonable cause to believe that the order applied for is necessary to investigate, prosecute, or terminate a violation of this article. If the court is satisfied that reasonable cause exists, the court may:
(a) Require the attendance of or the production of documents by such person, or both;
(b) Assess a civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars for such failure to appear and answer questions, written or otherwise, or such failure to produce documents unless the court finds that the failure to appear, to answer questions, or to produce documents was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an assessment of a civil penalty unjust;
documents by such person, or both;
(b) Assess a civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars for such failure to appear and answer questions, written or otherwise, or such failure to produce documents unless the court finds that the failure to appear, to answer questions, or to produce documents was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an assessment of a civil penalty unjust;
(c) Award the attorney general reasonable costs and attorney fees in making this application unless the court finds that the failure to appear, to answer questions, or to produce documents was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of costs and attorney fees unjust;
(d) Enter any protective order as provided for in the Colorado rules of civil procedure;
(e) Grant such other or further relief as may be necessary to obtain compliance by such person.
C.R.S. § 6-2-112 Testimony - books and records
6-2-112. Testimony - books and records. In an action brought under this article, any defendant may be required to testify under subpoena duly issued in pursuance to the Colorado rules of civil procedure, and the books and records of any such defendant may be brought into court and introduced into evidence. No information so obtained may be used against the defendant as a basis for a misdemeanor prosecution under the provisions of this article.
C.R.S. § 6-2-113 Selling below cost
6-2-113. Selling below cost. For the purposes of this article, in all sales involving more than one product or service and in all sales involving the giving of any concession of any kind, the combined total selling price of all products or services shall be compared to the combined total cost of all products or services involved in the sales to determine whether the vendor or distributor is selling below cost.
C.R.S. § 6-2-114 Advertising goods not available
6-2-114. Advertising goods not available. It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation engaged in business within the state of Colorado to advertise goods, wares, or merchandise which they are not prepared and able to supply to the consuming public in pursuance of such advertisement.
C.R.S. § 6-2-115 Evidence to establish legal price
6-2-115. Evidence to establish legal price. (Repealed)
C.R.S. § 6-2-115.5 State agencies - authority to contract with private enterprise
6-2-115.5. State agencies - authority to contract with private enterprise. (1) Any state agency which is provided goods or services or which provides goods to the public, including manufacturing, processing, selling, offering for sale, renting, leasing, delivering, distributing, or advertising, shall determine if such goods can also be provided for by contract with private persons, partnerships, or corporations or any other type of private enterprise.
(2) Whenever a state agency determines that goods provided by it to the public can be more cost-effectively delivered by contract with private enterprise, or whenever a state agency determines that goods can be provided to it more cost-effectively by contract with private enterprise, such state agency is authorized to enter into a contract, in accordance with the "Procurement Code", articles 101 to 112 of title 24, C.R.S., to obtain such goods.
(3) The provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply to the division of correctional industries products and services as long as such products and services are of comparable price and quality.
C.R.S. § 6-2-116 Penalty
6-2-116. Penalty. Any person, firm, or corporation, whether as principal, agent, officer, or director, for himself, herself, or itself, or for another person, or for any firm or corporation who violates any of the provisions of sections 6-2-103 to 6-2-108 or section 6-2-110 commits a class 2 misdemeanor for each single violation.
C.R.S. § 6-2-117 Remedies cumulative
6-2-117. Remedies cumulative. The remedies prescribed in this article are cumulative.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-06.docxFetched: 10/6/2026