Ticketmaster Sues Competitors For... Well, Being Competitors
from the we're-so-used-to-being-a-monopoly,-we-should-sue! dept
Last year, we noted that Ticketmaster, who for years has based its business model on being a monopoly provider of event tickets, was so upset at the growing number of web-based competitors for reselling tickets that it was pushing for laws to make selling tickets above face value illegal in an effort to stop sites (or users of sites) like StubHub (an eBay subsidiary) and Craigslist from selling tickets. Apparently, the company also has a second plan: sue the competition. The company has sued StubHub for selling tickets to concerts where Ticketmaster claims it was supposed to be the "exclusive" ticket provider. The company claims it had signed contracts with certain venues to guarantee exclusivity. However, StubHub was (according to Ticketmaster) still able to get tickets to these venues by threatening that they "might not be considered as venues for future live-entertainment events." It's not clear why Ticketmaster is suing StubHub, however. If the venues broke a contract, why isn't Ticketmaster suing the venue? StubHub never signed an exclusivity contract with Ticketmaster. Also, StubHub seems to be selling the tickets at three to four times as much as Ticketmaster is selling the tickets, so it's not like people are likely to go to StubHub instead of Ticketmaster for those tickets.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Why sue StubHub?
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Re: Why sue StubHub?
Wouldn't plausible deniability be applicable in something like that?
Obviously up until the point where you were told: Hey! We have an exclusivity contract here! Stop that!
Up till that point, you're not inciting anything...and if you're simply re-selling the tickets you're not, so far anyway, breaking the law, let alone breaching a contract. Ticketmaster probably sold the re-sold tickets in the first place anyway...
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Re: Re: Why sue StubHub?
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Re: Why sue StubHub?
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The allegation appears to be
The characterization of the suit "suing for being competitors" indicates the poster has a misunderstanding of tort law. If the details of the suit are as they are reported in other articles, then it Ticketmaster has a case. Let's see if it stands scrutiny.
For people interested in understanding the legal grounds for the case see:
http://www.lectlaw.com/def/i084.htm
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Exclusive agreements
Let's face it, exclusivity = monopoly which is an anti-free trade, restrictive practice. And knowing how Ticketmaster operates with all their extra charges on top of the face-value of the tickets they sell, it is neither surprising that they want this nor desirable that they should have it!
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Duh
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how do we know...
Well, at least that's what I would do.
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If you think about it....
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Can't believe...
That said, TicketBastard's "inconvenience" fee needs to be regulated because thats what happens to monopolies and apparently the market isn't stepping in to take care of them.
I sorely dislike having to do business with them at all.
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Re: Can't believe...
Why not? If I bought the ticket, I should be free to sell it for whatever price I am able to negotiate. After all, everybody else, from the venue to the artist to the ticket seller, earned their cut when I paid face value for that ticket. I'm not hurting their ability to earn money.
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Re: Re: Can't believe...
The people who work to make money off of the production by being in it (or associated) add value to it and deserve to earn a cut. If your kind actually offered some sort of additional value w/that artificially inflated price I might be more willing to see your side of the argument.
Otherwise you are just stealing $$ from a person who should simply tell you to enjoy the show, and stick your overpriced ticket up your %*&^@.
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Re: Re: Can't believe...
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Re: Re: Re: Can't believe...
But the only reason scalping is illegal I would think is due to possible forgery of tickets and selling those tickets for an absurd amount of money.
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I understant if you're teenager, but once you join the adult crowd, what's the point? I'd rather spend my money on some good CDs, downloadable content, and some awesome concert DVDs that I can enjoy over and over and over again.
Plus in all honesty, with channels such as Voom's HD concert channel it makes staying at home and enjoying my "low cost" beverage even more relaxing.
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Re: no live for me!
I didn't understand the the appeal either, until I went to my first Ozzfest.
It's really hard to explain what makes it so great, you just have to experience it for yourself. If you live in an area that has concerts, I heartily recommend that you treat yourself to at least one concert in your life.
Of course, your objections apply mostly to rock (and maybe other popular) music. A celtic or classical music concert would be a completely different experience.
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That is how it works
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Re: That is how it works
Sorry, but that's simply incorrect. All competitors have been frozen out of the market; in the US it's effectively TicketMaster or at-the-door sales. See reply 6.
Our laws against antitrust are obviously waived for someone with a) good political connections, and b) no major competitor to push the DOJ to sue.
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Hahaha
Why should we regulate the price of tickets? Just like real estate or a sweaty T-shirt once (allegedly) worn by a celebrity, these things are worth whatever people will pay for them.
What needs to be stopped is professional scalpers sucking up huge blocks of inventory creating an artificial scarcity and thus being able to set outrageous prices. The market is supposed to regulate prices by just refusing to buy stuff that costs too much. Why are event tickets an exception?
What I would love to see is scalpers sucking up boo-coo tickets as usual
and the public just flat out rebelling. Here's a sold out show and the only available tickets are online at scalpalacious prices. The ticket buying public just gets together and decides they are only willing to pay a 20% markup (or whatever). So they organize and wait for the scalpers to get nervous and bring the price down.
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Re: Hahaha
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eff ticketbastard
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So the Upshot of All This . . .
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Ticketmaster Monopoly`
Right now we have only two choices. Either live with it and their ludicrous legal maneuvers and service charges; or simply say no and avoid any venues sold by Ticketmaster until they crumble from lack of patronage. Simply stop buying tickets from Ticketmaster or scalpers that include ridiculous service fees and charges. Decide today that you will either purchase tickets at face value ( plus a nominal mailing fee - i.e. under a $1 for each ticket if applicable (nothing for download and print) or you will not attend the event. Eventually when enough people subscribe to this practice, both venues and performers will just say NO to Ticketmaster..
Instead they will start selling directly to the public. This is now very practical to do with the tools and availability of the Internet. Performers and venues no longer need to even print the tickets. All they need is a db and barcode software to manage seating, sales, and selection. Customers can now print their own tickets or receipts that can be matched to the db at the door.
Yes you may miss good entertainment. But it is only entertainment. Yes it will temporarily hurt performers and venues to some degree.
Yes the collapse of Ticketmaster may not occur during your lifetime. But you have to think of the long term consequences. You have to decide if you want your children to be slaves to the practices of Ticketmaster in order to enjoy live entertainment.
The time to act is now.
Venues and entertainers will survive, although not as comfortably as they do now. Continue to support them through DVD and other media sales instead of attending live performances at the mercy of Ticketmaster. Put your money into multimedia equipment instead of Ticketmaster coffers. The view is probably better and more convenient to attend anyway.
Yes you may miss the thrill and intimacy of a live performance. But it only has to be done until Ticketmaster crumbles. Ultimately your friends and children will be thanking you for thinking of them instead of yourself and immediate personal gratification.
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side note
24mbps down and 2.5 up?
damn gina.
f*ck american broadband companies.
f*ck them in their silly a**es
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Face value
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Face Value
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Re: Face Value
I love capitalism and the free market but this is a case where it fails the consumer.........badly.
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I pick out my concert online, enter payment info, and print an online ticket. I even speak to a human being and I still pay a service charge that can be as much as 25-305% of the actual ticket price?
I refuse to use Ticketmaster. If the band isn't playing at a venue that has its own box office, I'm not going.
Ticketmaster's service fees would be exorbitant even if they came with a happy ending...
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This is not hard to understand, people
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Huh?
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It's just not that convenient!
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FEES
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Ticketmaster suing
And what about the auctions now available on Ticketmaster....
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