In the wake of an outcry over touts re-selling tickets for Ed Sheerhan's Teenage Cancer Trust charity show at the Royal Albert Hall and Adele's O2 concerts, UK ticket touts who use computer 'bots' to mine for concert tickets before selling them for massive profits, and blocking fans from seeing their favourite artists except at huge mark ups, will face unlimited fines.
National Trading Standards will also be handed a ringfenced pot of money to fund efforts to stop fans being ripped off or shut out of the most in-demand events.
As well as criminalising bots, United Kingdom ministers at the DCMS will accept in full the recommendations of a review by Professor Michael Waterson, who published proposals to tackle rogue ticket traders last year. These include demanding that ticket firms to step up their own efforts to prevent the use of bots and to report any attacks on their systems by touts trying to harvest tickets.
Culture minister Matt Hancock said: "This profiteering is simply not fair, so we are acting to put fans first and improve the chances of seeing our favourite musicians and sports stars at a reasonable price" adding "Ticket sellers also need to do more, by improving transparency and ensuring that they are acting in the best interests of consumers and help the market work for everyone."
http://news.sky.com/story/ban-on-bots-ticket-touts-face-unlimited-fines-10797695
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/mar/10/ministers-to-criminalise-use-of-ticket-tout-harvesting-software
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39239133
Ed Sheeran, Sony/ATV and Warner Music are facing a new US lawsuit which claims that Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' plagiarises elements of Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On. The track's producer Jake Gosling and co-writer Amy Wadge - along with independent publishers Bucks Music and BDi Music - are also named in the suit, filed by the heirs of 'Let's Get It On' co-writer Ed Townsend. The suit alleges wilful infringement by the defendants, and is seeking damages based on the profits of the smash hit song. Sheeran's own label, Gingerbread Man Records - a joint venture with Warner Music UK - is an additional defendant.
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| Top year for Ed |
The end of year sales figures from the UK record industry have few surpises, showing that streaming boomed, downloads peaked, CD sales continued to decline and vinyl sales were up, if comparatively tiny. Figures from the UK's Entertainment Retailer's Association show that the UK download sector brought in 14.9% less in 2014 than 2013 at £338.1 million, while streaming revenues shot up 65.1% bringing in £106 million for the record industry. Streams accounted for 12.6% of consumption overall, digital albums accounted for 25.3% of total units, single track accounted for 13.3%. Physical sales slipped 6.9% and now making up 48.8% of consumption overall it means that overall the UK record industry saw its sales dip 1.6%.
Overall the end of year charts compiled by the Official Charts Company show:
Top Ten Albums of 2014
1. Ed Sheeran - x (Warner/Atlantic)
2. Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour (Universal/Capitol)
3. George Ezra - Wanted On Voyage (Sony/Columbia)
4. Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love (Warner/Atlantic)
5. Coldplay - Ghost Stories (Warner/Parlophone)
6. Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction (Sony/RCA)
7. One Direction - Four (Sony/Syco)
8. Olly Murs - Never Been Better (Sony/Epic)
9. Pink Floyd - The Endless River (Warner/Rhino)
10. Take That - III (Universal/Polydor)
Top Ten Vinyl Albums of 2014
1. Pink Floyd - The Endless River (Warner/Rhino)
2. Arctic Monkeys - AM (Domino Recordings)
3. Royal Blood - Royal Blood (Warner/Warner Bros)
4. Oasis - Definitely Maybe (Sony/Big Brother)
5. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (Warner/Rhino)
6. Jack White - Lazaretto (Beggars/XL)
7. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (Sony/Silvertone)
8. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways (Sony/RCA)
9. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (Warner/Rhino)
10. Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (Sony/Big Brother)
Top Ten Singles of 2014
1. Pharrell Williams - Happy (Sony Music/Columbia)
2. Clean Bandit feat Jess Glynne - Rather Be (Warner/Atlantic)
3. John Legend - All Of Me (Sony/Columbia)
4. Mr Probz - Waves (Sony/Left Lane Recordings)
5. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud (Warner/Atlantic)
6. Ella Henderson - Ghost (Sony/Syco)
7. Sam Smith - Stay With Me (Universal/Capitol)
8. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass (Sony/Epic)
9. Pitbull feat Kesha - Timber (Sony/J-Mr 305-Polo Grounds)
10. George Ezra - Budapest (Sony/Columbia)
Top Ten Most Streamed Tracks in 2014 (compiled by Official Charts Company based on chart-returning audio streaming services)
1. Clean Bandit feat Jess Glynne - Rather Be (Warner/Atlantic)
2. Pharrell Williams - Happy (Sony Music/Columbia)
3. John Legend - All of Me (Sony Music/Columbia)
4. Mr Probz - Waves (Sony/Left Lane Recordings)
5. Sam Smith - Stay With Me (Universal/Capitol)
6. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud (Warner/Atlantic)
7. George Ezra - Budapest (Sony/Columbia)
8. Ed Sheeran - Sing (Warner/Atlantic)
9. Pitbull feat Kesha - Timber (Sony/J-Mr 305-Polo Grounds)
10. Magic - Rude (Sony/RCA)
