A new law is cracking down hard on ticket touts

AnewpieceUKlegislationhasbeenintroducedthisweekmakingitillegaltouseautomatedbotstobulkpurchaseeventtickets.

Technologythiskindhascommonlybeenusedbytoutstobuyuplargequantitiesticketstosellonatexorbitantprices.ArecentestimationassessedtheUKticketresellingbusinesstobeworth£1billionperyear,with£500millionthatnumbercreditedtomusicevents.

NowunderthetermsthenewlylegislatedDigitalEconomyAct,anyonecaughtutilisingbotstoplaythesystemandexploitgenuinefanscanfaceunlimitedfines.

TheMinisterforCulture,CommunicationsandCreativeIndustriesMattHancocksaid:“We’redeterminedtomakesure2018istheyearwehelprealfansgetthechancetoseetheirfavouritemusicandsportsstarsatafairprice.

“We’llbeactingtostampoutthegrowingproblemtoutsmisusingtechnologytoscoopupvastnumbersticketsonlytosellthemonatrip-fprices.

“Ourwork,togetherwithimprovementsbyindustry,willhelpmakethemarketmoretransparentandmeanagreatyearforBritain’sthrivingliveeventsscene.”

ThelawfollowsraidsontheficesticketresellingcompaniesStubHubandViagogoinNovemberlastyearwhichresultedinfourarrestsforsuspectedbreachconsumerlawsrelatedtotickettouting.

Googlehasalsorecentlyimposedrestrictionsagainstsuchsites,includingbarringthemfromclaimingtobe“ficial”ticketsourcesandrequiringthemtobecertifiedtouseGoogle’sAdWordsservicetobuyhighersearchrankingpositions.

Via:]

PatrickHintonisMixmag'sDigitalStaffWriter,followhimon