Friday 30 March 2012

Tennessee's new ticketing laws under the spotlight


Ticketnews.com reports that legislation will be introduced in the Tennessee state house this week that, if passed, would drastically violate the privacy of fans and ticket brokers, infringe upon the ownership rights of fans, and expand and perfect Ticketmaster's monopoly of the ticketing industry. The bill, titled the "Fairness in Ticketing Act of 2012", would impose draconian measures upon the ticketing industry, limiting the ability of consumers to find tickets at a fair market value. Portions of the bill violate consumer privacy, as it requires ticket resellers to provide more information about the ticket's origins. The report highlights recent moves by Katy Perry whose contract required venues to set aside tickets for her to sell to the public through any "so-called 'secondary market' seller of tickets". The proposed legislation also gives venues unprecedented power to determine which ticket brokers can resell their tickets, limiting competition to those brokers supported by the primary market. The proposed legislation is also a step backwards in the fight for the rights of live event fans as it gives venues the authority to decide to use paperless tickets as they see fit. Already a hot button issue in ticketing legislation.

Ticketnews also reports that Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General has dismissed concerns that Live Nation Entertainment violated the province's anti-scalping laws when it sold tickets for Madonna's September 10, 2012 concert in Ottawa. Tickets to the performance in ScotiaBank Place went on sale directly through Live Nation on February 14, 2012 and were sold out within 21 minutes, the fastest sellout in the venue's history.

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