Latest news with #BetterOnlineTicketSales
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Taylor Swift' bills aimed at beating back ticketing bots could receive vote in Michigan
When it comes to the online bots that scooped up Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets — making for a cruel summer for some in 2023 — the Michigan House of Representatives isn't ready to shake it off. The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony May 21 on House Bills 4262 and 4263, dubbed the "Taylor Swift" bills, aimed at beating back the bots. The legislation would ban the use of bots to skirt limits on ticket purchases or circumvent waiting periods and online queues. The legislation would empower the Attorney General's Office to investigate potential violations. Bill sponsor state Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, told the Michigan House Judiciary Committee during a May 21 hearing that many trying to attend a concert or sports event have confronted a sold-out show or game with only tickets available on the resale market at "extreme mark-ups." Some scalpers will use bots to purchase an excessive number of tickets to resell the tickets at a price much higher than the original one. "This harms the entertainment industry and harms consumers by creating an unnecessary financial barrier," McFall said. State Rep. Mike Harris, R-Waterford — another bill sponsor — said that while federal law already outlaws ticketing bots, a state law would give Michigan's attorney general new authority to take action. Harris said a member of his staff and Taylor Swift fan prepared testimony for him using lyrics from the pop star's songs. But he said he couldn't bring himself to read it, even as he acknowledged having attended a Swift concert with his family. While her music didn't feature prominently in the committee hearing, it has fueled a flurry of bills in state Legislatures across the U.S. to beat back the bots. When ticket sales for Taylor Swift's concerts opened, bots scooped up tickets faster than her real life fans could, according to Ticketmaster. During the 2024 legislative session, at least 20 states and Puerto Rico saw legislation introduced on event ticket sales, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Under the Michigan bills, violators who circumvent or disable the online ticket platform technology to bulk buy tickets or jump in front of fans to do so would be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 for each ticket purchased. Lawmakers in the Michigan House passed similar bills in the previous legislative session but the Michigan Senate didn't take them up. Under the 2016 federal Better Online Ticket Sales or BOTS Act, scalpers cannot use technology to circumvent ticket purchase limits or use a false identity to buy tickets. But it wasn't until years later that the Federal Trade Commission brought its first case under the BOTS Act in 2021. Following his return to the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for vigorous enforcement of the BOTS Act. Federal lawmakers have also proposed additional policies to tackle the current ticketing system. Chamber of Progress, which describes itself as a center-left tech industry policy organization, published a report in 2024 saying the entertainment company Live Nation "has executed a quiet but sweeping campaign in state legislatures to maintain its monopoly position by restricting the resale market." The report calls out lobbying by Live Nation for anti-bot laws it says appears aimed at consumer protection but curtails resale competition. "Bots are a big reason the ticket market feels unfair and confusing for fans. But if lawmakers crack down too broadly, they risk hurting legitimate resellers — and that could end up making consumers worse off," the report's author Aden Kizkias wrote in an email. The report doesn't specifically analyze the Michigan bills. Live Nation did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Michigan Politics: Proposed new auto loan tax deduction could help buyers get break on interest Resale company StubHub is one of Chamber of Progress' corporate partners. The organization notes that its partners do not have a final say on its policy positions. StubHub has a neutral position on the Michigan bills, while Live Nation supports them. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster in 2024, alleging the entertainment company is a monopoly. Media representatives for the Attorney General's Office did not respond to a request for comment, but McFall said lawmakers have been working with the office on the legislation. The bills may soon head to the House floor for a vote. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Taylor Swift' anti-bot bills in Michigan see action in state House
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
FTC Warns StubHub Over Apparent Failure to List Total Price of Tickets
Ahead of the 2025 NFL season, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent a letter to StubHub, the largest ticket exchange and resale business in the United States, calling for strict compliance with the agency's new Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, the FTC said in a The rule, which went into The only exception to the rule is that total prices do not have to show costs such as shipping, government charges, and taxes, which can be disclosed later, but before asking for payment. However, 'after the Rule went into effect, one or more price displays on StubHub's website, including its mobile website display, appear to have misrepresented the price of tickets in violation of the Fees Rule,' the May 14 'We have identified instances in which StubHub's displayed ticket prices do not include all mandatory fees and charges,' it said. 'The mandatory fees and charges StubHub has omitted from its price displays, such as fulfillment fees and service fees, do not appear to be covered by any permissible exemption.' The letter stated that the agency 'strongly' encouraged StubHub to soon bring all of the company's ads, displays, and offers into compliance with the new rules. Related Stories 5/10/2025 5/6/2025 FTC warned that violations can lead to civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation as well as federal enforcement action. 'Given the high volume of traffic and sales expected across ticketing platforms tonight with the release of the NFL schedule for the 2025 season, we note that each failure to comply with the Fees Rule is a separate violation that may be subject to civil penalties,' the FTC said. The NFL Chris Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said companies have already been provided with 'sufficient time' to prepare for compliance with the new regulations and update their advertising. 'As this letter shows, the Commission will not allow companies to circumvent the rule to gain a competitive advantage.' The Epoch Times reached out to StubHub for comment. Tightened Ticketing Rules FTC's crackdown on ticketing malpractices follows President Donald Trump's signing of an executive The order said that America's live concert and entertainment industry has become 'blighted' by middlemen who impose unnecessary charges without adding much value. 'Ticket scalpers use bots and other unfair means to acquire large quantities of face-value tickets and then resell them at an enormous markup on the secondary market, price-gouging consumers and depriving fans of the opportunity to see their favorite artists without incurring extraordinary expenses,' said the order. 'When this occurs, the artists do not receive any profit. All profits go solely to the scalper and the ticketing agency.' In the order, Trump instructed the Attorney General and the FTC to ensure that competition laws are enforced appropriately in the industry. It also asked the FTC to 'rigorously enforce' the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act that Under BOTS, it is illegal to bypass the maximum ticket purchasing limits set by an issuer or use fake identities to purchase tickets. Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FTC jointly launched a public inquiry to identify anticompetitive and unfair practices in the entertainment and live concert industries, the DOJ said in a May 7 'Competitive live entertainment markets should deliver value to artists and fans alike,' said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. 'We will continue to closely examine this market and look for opportunities where vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws can lead to increased competition that makes tickets more affordable for fans while offering fairer compensation for artists.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's one Biden crusade Trump is still on board with
In this era of partisan rancor and ideological polarization, there appears to be at least one thing Americans of all political persuasions can still agree on: Buying concert tickets sucks. On Wednesday evening, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission announced that they were kicking off an inquiry into 'anticompetitive practices and conduct in the live concert and entertainment industry' and asked the public to submit comments on the issue. The move was prompted by a White House executive order instructing federal regulators and law enforcement to take action against online ticket scalpers, which President Trump signed last month while joined in the Oval Office by a stars-and-stripes bedecked Kid Rock. 'Many Americans feel like they are being priced out of live entertainment by scalpers, bots, and other unfair and deceptive practices,' FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said in a statement. 'Now their voices are being heard. President Trump has sent a clear message that bad actors who exploit fans and distort the marketplace will not be tolerated.' The attempt to make ticket-buying a less maddening experience represents a rare point of continuity between the Trump and Biden administrations. The former president made taking on ticket brokers a major part of his administration's war on so-called 'junk fees,' singling out the pesky and expensive hidden charges fans often find tacked on as they go to check out. The issue got a public boost after sales for Taylor Swift's Eras tour caused Ticketmaster's website to crash, triggering a furious fan backlash against the company. In December, the FTC finalized a bipartisan rule that banned junk fees on live event tickets as well as hotels, which is set to finally take effect next week. (Ferguson, the current chair who was then one of two Republicans on the commission, backed the regulation). In an arguably more dramatic step, Biden's Justice Department also sought to break up Live Nation, the entertainment behemoth that owns both Ticketmaster and hundreds of venues worldwide, filing an antitrust suit last year in which it accused the company of illegally trying to stamp out competition from other ticketing platforms, among other monopolistic abuses. Trump largely appears to be building on those efforts. The Justice Department has continued to pursue its case against Live Nation, and in March a federal judge rejected the company's effort to throw out some claims from the suit. Trump's executive order on scalping followed weeks later. Among other steps, the order instructs the FTC to 'rigorously enforce' the Better Online Ticket Sales (or BOTS) Act, an Obama-era law designed to stop automated buyers from snapping up seats for resale before real fans can access them. According to a White House fact sheet, the FTC has only taken action under the law once since it was enacted. It also urges the agency to consider taking action against 'anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market' and to ensure companies are keeping prices transparent, in keeping with the new Junk Fee rule. As the ticket market has come under increasing scrutiny nationally, a fierce lobbying battle has broken out over who exactly is to blame for the high costs consumers are paying to see a show. On one side, critics of Ticketmaster have argued that its iron hold on the industry has driven up costs. But Live Nation and some others have argued that scalpers, including platforms like SeatGeek and Stubhub that facilitate resales, are more to blame. Trump, for his part, appears to be trying to crack down on both sides. The effort is in some ways just a small example of how, even as it has tried to reverse much of Biden's regulatory agenda, the Trump administration has stuck with some of its major antitrust initiatives. Despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg's appeals to the president, the FTC has continued to pursue a major antitrust suit against Meta. It has also decided to stick with the merger guidelines that were updated under former Chair Lina Kahn. The Justice Department, meanwhile, has continued to push ahead with its suit against Google. Josh Withrow, a fellow at the center-right R Street Institute who has written on the ticket market and the government's suit against Live Nation, said that beyond enforcing laws on the books, it wasn't clear whether there were many new regulations Trump could pursue to combat scalping. The White House could push Congress to pass the TICKETS Act, which includes consumer-friendly reforms on issues like fees and refunds and tries to combat some particularly abusive scalping practices. But he added that it made sense Trump would stick with Biden's initiative. 'It makes sense as an easy political win,' Withrow said. 'If there's one thing there's political consensus on, it's that everyone is mad at the ticket markets and fees.' Jordan Weissmann is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Axios
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Lawmakers hope to crack down on ticket-buying bots
Federal lawmakers are trying to make it harder for bots to cut in line to buy tickets to the biggest events in entertainment. Why it matters: If passed, the bill's authors say, it'll be easier for you to snag those Beyoncé or Taylor Swift tickets next time they're in town. The latest: Democratic Rep. Troy Carter is co-sponsoring new legislation aimed at protecting consumers from online scams and preventing bots from making online ticket purchases. If passed, the bill would add teeth to 2016 legislation that sought to prevent scalpers from using software to buy tickets at high volumes. Between the lines: The bill was originally introduced in the Senate earlier this year by Sen. Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). It is a follow-up to Blackburn's Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, which was signed into law in 2016. That legislation gave the Federal Trade Commission a way to crack down on scalpers who use bots. But eight years after the act was passed, the FTC had only used it once. The new legislation would require online ticket sellers like Ticketmaster to notify the FTC about successful bot attacks, like the ones infamous for targeting Swift's "The Eras Tour." It would also create a new consumer complaint database and strengthen security requirements for online platforms. The FTC would also be required to update Congress about BOTS Act enforcement. Companies that violate the new law could face fines of up to $10,000 per day. The big picture: The bill has bipartisan support, along with endorsements from big music industry players like the Recording Academy and Live Nation.
Euronews
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Donald Trump signs executive order against ‘exploitative ticket scalping'
ADVERTISEMENT Donald Trump invited rocker and MAGA supporter Kid Rock into the Oval Office and signed an executive order that he says will help curb ticket scalping and bring 'commonsense' changes to the way live events are priced. Kid Rock campaigned for regulations and legislation to be implemented when it comes to online ticket purchases, citing the 'unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct' in the ticket resale market. The president said rising fees for concerts and other events have 'gotten worse and worse with time.' Kid Rock, wearing a red bedazzled suit featuring an American flag motif and a straw fedora, agreed: 'Anyone who's bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it's a conundrum.' 'You buy a ticket for $100, by the time you check out it's $170, you don't know what you're charged for.' Kid Rock and Donald Trump in the Oval Office - 31 March 2025 AP Photo The order directs authorities to enforce the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, a federal law designed to prevent scalpers from buying tickets in bulk using bots in 2016. Additionally, it instructs US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi to ensure that ticket resellers are entirely compliant with IRS regulations and other laws, as well as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) working with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce antitrust laws in the concert industry. Kid Rock continued: 'These bots come in and get all the good tickets to your favourite shows, and they're re-listed immediately for a 4-500 per cent markup. The artists don't see any of that money.' 'Ultimately, I think this is a great first step. I'd love down the road if there would be some legislation that we can actually put a cap on the resale of tickets. I'm a Capitalist and for deregulation, but they've tried this in some places in Europe and it seems to be the only thing that lets us as artists get the hands in artists at the price we set.' Attempts to curb scalping in Europe have had mixed results . The most recent and headline-grabbing instance has been for the highly awaited Oasis reunion tour . The band mentioned efforts to prevent touts from re-selling tickets at inflated prices, saying that tickets sold for profit on other sites would be cancelled. However, when tickets finally went on sale and rapidly sold out, it was reported that roughly 50,000 tickets ended up on resale sites. It was then announced in February that thousands of tickets were cancelled by Ticketmaster in a crackdown on bots. However, many infuriated fans claimed they were targeted wrongfully and then faced with surging ticket prices. Secondary ticket swap sites such as Viagogo, TicketSwap and the Oasis-approved Twickets have become a widespread part of the live event market in recent years. Ostensibly intended as a means for gig-goers to sell on tickets to other fans when they can't attend due to unforeseen circumstances, these secondary sites are regularly filled with tickets for popular events snapped up by touts being advertised for significantly above the original asking price. ADVERTISEMENT According to the BBC, some of the tickets listed on these secondary sites for the upcoming Oasis tour were being sold for as much as £119,000 (€143,000). A quick check through StubHub and Viagogo found multiple examples of tickets being sold for thousands of euros.
