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.
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PatrickHintonisMixmag'sDigitalStaffWriter,followhimon