(a) Offenses

Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for any individual to take office, after August 29, 1935, as an officer or director of any company, if his doing so would make him an officer or director of more than one company engaged in business as a distiller, rectifier, or blender of distilled spirits, or of any such company and of a company which is an affiliate of any company engaged in business as a distiller, rectifier, or blender of distilled spirits, or of more than one company which is an affiliate of any company engaged in business as a distiller, rectifier, or blender of distilled spirits, unless, prior to taking such office, application made by such individual to the Secretary of the Treasury has been granted and after due showing has been made to him that service by such individual as officer or director of all the foregoing companies of which he is an officer or director together with service in the company with respect to which application is made will not substantially restrain or prevent competition in interstate or foreign commerce in distilled spirits. The Secretary of the Treasury shall, by order, grant or deny such application on the basis of the proof submitted to him and his finding thereon. The District Courts of the United States, and the United States court for any Territory shall have jurisdiction of suits to enjoin, annul, or suspend in whole or in part any final action by the Secretary upon any application under this subsection.

(b) Conditions of lawfully taking office

Terms Used In 27 USC 208

  • affiliate: means any one of two or more persons if one of such persons has actual or legal control, directly or indirectly, whether by stock ownership or otherwise, of the other or others of such persons. See 27 USC 211
  • association: when used in reference to a corporation, shall be deemed to embrace the words "successors and assigns of such company or association" in like manner as if these last-named words, or words of similar import, were expressed. See 1 USC 5
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • distilled spirits: means ethyl alcohol, hydrated oxide of ethyl, spirits of wine, whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and other distilled spirits, including all dilutions and mixtures thereof, for non-industrial use. See 27 USC 211
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • interstate or foreign commerce: means commerce between any State and any place outside thereof, or commerce within any Territory or the District of Columbia, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof. See 27 USC 211
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
  • State: includes a Territory and the District of Columbia. See 27 USC 211
  • Territory: means Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. See 27 USC 211
  • United States: means the several States and Territories and the District of Columbia. See 27 USC 211

An individual may, without regard to the provisions of subsection (a), take office as an officer or director of a company described in said subsection while holding the position of officer or director of any other such company if such companies are affiliates at the time of his taking office and if-

(1) Such companies are affiliates on August 29, 1935; or

(2) Each of such companies has been organized under the law of a State to comply with a requirement thereof under which, as a condition of doing business in such State, such company must be organized under the law of such State; or

(3) One or more such companies has been organized under the law of a State to comply with a requirement thereof under which, as a condition of doing business in such State, such company must be organized under the laws of such State, and the other one or more of such companies not so organized, is in existence on August 29, 1935; or

(4) One or more of such companies has been organized under the law of a State to comply with a requirement thereof under which, as a condition of doing business in such State, such company must be organized under the law of such State, and not more than one of such companies is a company which has not been so organized and which has been organized after August 29, 1935.

(c) “Company” defined

As used in this section, the term “company” means a corporation, joint stock company, business trust, or association, but does not include any agency of a State or political subdivision thereof or any officer or employee of any such agency.

(d) Penalty

Any individual taking office in violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not exceeding $1,000.

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