Lee Mattocks has appeared at York Crown Court in the UK, accused of setting up fake football club memberships in order to purchase and resell tickets for Premier League matches. Mattocks, who is 49, is alleged to have made £1m ($1.2m/€1.3m) by selling tickets for games obtained via the scam. He pleaded not guilty to …
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 …
Patrick Hickey resigns from the International Olympic Committee
Patrick Hickey has officially resigned from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), more than six years after he suspended himself following his arrest during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016. Hickey was an IOC member since 1995 and voluntarily stood down from his role after being arrested on alleged ticket scalping charges during …
See Tickets, Vivendi suffer reported data breach
Global ticketing platform See Tickets has notified customers of a data breach, which has reportedly lasted two-and-a-half years. While See Tickets and parent company Vivendi have yet to come forward with statements, consumer rights law firm Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP has published a press release to say that it is investigating claims …
Two Astroworld lawsuits reportedly settled
Two lawsuits have reportedly been settled by families of victims of the Astroworld tragedy. A number of reports have surfaced surrounding a settlement agreement being reached with the family of Alex Acosta, a 21-year-old that was killed during last year’s festival. The Houston Chronicle has also reported that a settlement has been agreed for the …
US groups form ‘Break Up Ticketmaster’ coalition
A new North American coalition led by economic libertarian groups and consumer champions has been established to campaign for the breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The ‘Break Up Ticketmaster’ coalition, led by the American Economic Liberties Project, Consumer Federation of America and the National Consumers League, plans to increase the pressure on the US …
Brown Paper Tickets still owes millions to event producers and ticket buyers
Ticketing company Brown Paper Tickets still owes millions of dollars despite a settlement with the Washington State Attorney General. According to a report from Digital Music News, Brown Paper Tickets was sued in 2020 by the Washington State Attorney General, with claims of the company owing $6.75m (£6.1m/€7m) to event producers and ticket buyers globally. …
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 …
SXSW loses court action against insurer
South By Southwest (SXSW) has lost a court action against its insurer over who should cover its legal costs in relation to a class action lawsuit over its cancellation in 2020. District Judge Robert Pitman concluded that Federal Insurance Co is not required to cover the costs that the Texas-based festival incurred when dealing with …
Rammstein obtains restraining order against Viagogo
German rock group Rammstein has successfully obtained a restraining order preventing Viagogo from offering tickets to its forthcoming shows. The restraining order, which legally forbids Viagogo from reselling tickets to the band’s upcoming 2023 European tour, was actioned by the district court of Hamburg. The court found that Viagogo was in breach of consumer protection …