(a) If the State or any public body thereof is threatened with injury or injured in its business or property by a violation of this chapter, the Attorney General may bring an action for appropriate equitable relief, damages sustained and, as determined by the Court, taxable costs, and reasonable fees for expert witnesses and attorneys, including the Attorney General. (b) The Attorney General may bring suit as parens patriae on behalf of natural persons residing in this State to secure monetary relief for such persons who are injured in their business or property by a violation of this chapter. The Court may also award taxable costs and reasonable fees for expert witnesses and attorneys, including the Attorney General. (c) In actions under this section, the Court may, in its discretion, award as monetary relief up to threefold the total damage sustained, in addition to costs and fees, provided that the Court finds the acts complained of to have been wilful. (d) Monetary relief awarded under subsection (b) of this section may be payable to the State or may be distributed in such manner as the Court in its discretion may authorize. (e) In any action brought under subsection (b) of this section, the Attorney General shall, at such times, in such manner, and with such content as the Court may direct, cause notice thereof to be given by publication. If the Court finds that notice given solely by publication would deny due process of law to any person or persons, the Court may direct further notice to such person or persons according to the circumstances of the case. (f) Any person on whose behalf an action is brought under subsection (b) of this section may elect to exclude from adjudication the portion of the state claim for monetary relief attributable to the person by filing notice of such election with the Court in the manner specified in the notice given pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. The final judgment in any action under subsection (b) of this section shall be res judicata as to any claim under this chapter by any person on behalf of whom such action was brought and who fails to give notice of exclusion in the manner specified in this subsection. (g) In any action brought under this section, the Court shall exclude from the amount of any monetary relief awarded any amount which duplicates an award made by any court for the same injury, or which is allocable to persons excluded under subsection (f) of this section. (h) Any person who is threatened with injury or injured in that person's business or property by a violation of this chapter may bring an action for appropriate equitable relief, damages sustained and, as determined by the Court, taxable costs, and reasonable fees for expert witnesses and attorneys. (i) In any action under § 2107 or § 2108 of this title, the fact that the State, a public body, or any person has not dealt directly with the violator does not bar or otherwise limit the award of any damages or equitable remedies. There is a presumption that all changes in price due to an antitrust violation were passed to every subsequent level in the distribution chain in an amount equal to the amount of the change directly caused by the antitrust violation and charged to the first purchaser of the product or service in question. This presumption also applies to any change in price due to a change in the costs of an ingredient or component product or service that was caused by a violation of this chapter. The amount of the change in price will be presumed to be equal to the change in the cost, in dollars and cents, of the ingredient or component product or service to its first purchaser. (j) The Attorney General, in an action under subsection (a) or (b) of this section, or any person in an action under subsection (h) of this section, may elect to recover 25% of the consideration paid for any goods or services, including labor, that were the subject of the violation of § 2103(a) of this title in lieu of damages sustained or other monetary relief.
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