A Brazilian lawmaker has introduced a new law to tackle ticket scalping, after Taylor Swift announced shows in the country as part of the singer’s Eras Tour. Six shows will take place across Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and a new ‘Taylor Swift law’ would see penalties including up to four years in prison …
Western Australia clamps down on ticket scalpers following UFC event
The Government of Western Australia has announced that five individuals have become the first to face legal action under new ticket scalping laws, relating to the recent sold-out UFC 284 event in Perth. On-the-spot fines of A$2,000 (£1,083/€1,233/$1,328) each were issued to the five people that have allegedly breached the new ticket scalping laws, by …
Ticketmaster faces class action lawsuit over Drake tickets
Ticketmaster is facing a class action lawsuit over the cost of ticket prices to see Canadian rapper Drake, according to reports. The Toronto Star reported that Montreal-based law firm LPC Avocat has filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster over allegedly price gauging tickets for Drake’s upcoming ‘It’s All a Blur’ tour. The newspaper obtained a …
Georgia bill on ticketing resale moves forward
A bill that would restructure the resale ticket market in the US state of Georgia moved forward through a Senate committee in the state legislature last week. The proposed legislation would give more power to consumers purchasing tickets for events in Georgia and would allow holders to resell or transfer their tickets more easily. The …
Ticket touts ordered to repay over £6m or face extra prison time
Two ticket touts that resold tickets for concerts from artists such as Ed Sheeran (pictured) have been ordered to repay over £6m ($7.4/€7m), or face extra time in prison. Peter Hunter and David Smith, who traded as Ticket Wiz and BZZ, were convicted in February 2020 after being found guilty of fraudulent trading in relation …
Arrests made over Mirror concert incident
Hong Kong police have made a series of arrests in connection with an incident at a Mirror concert, where a large LED screen fell onto the stage and severely injured two dancers. According to the South China Morning Post, five people have been arrested in total, with four suspects hailing from main stage contractor Engineering …
Coachella organiser Goldenvoice files lawsuit against Afrochella
Coachella promoter Goldenvoice has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the organisers of Ghanaian Afrobeats music festival Afrochella, it has been reported. The lawsuit was filed last week at a California district court, and comes several years after Goldenvoice parent company AEG warned Afrochella over the use of the name. According to the Rolling Stone …
Viagogo fined €23.5m by Italian communications regulatory authority
Ticketing resale platform Viagogo has been fined €23.5m (£20m/$25m) by Italy’s communications regulatory authority AGCOM for breaking the country’s rules on secondary ticketing. Viagogo was given seven days to remove the illegal listings from its site by AGCOM (Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni). The decision was made by AGCOM at a council meeting on …
New York bill to provide more transparency for ticket buyers
A new bill has been passed by the state of New York which means ticketing companies will not be able to hide their fees and present them towards the end of a purchase anymore. Two major policies have been introduced to provide transparency for ticket buyers; ticket sellers must include fees upfront and ticket resellers …
Former USGA employee sentenced to 14 months in prison for $3.3m ticket scam
A former United States Golf Association (USGA) employee has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for embezzling more than $3.3m (£2.7m/€3.2m) worth of US Open tickets. The announcement was made by US Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and the US Department of Justice. Former USGA employee, Robert Fryer, was sentenced by United States District Judge …