The DOJ and the FTC have officially launched a public inquiry in connection with a March executive order targeting ‘unfair practices in the live entertainment market.’ Photo Credit: ActionVance
The DOJ and the FTC formally announced this public inquiry today, a month and change after President Trump signed an executive order targeting “unscrupulous middlemen who sit at the intersection between artists and fans.”
As we noted then, the order gave the mentioned department and agency (besides the Treasury Department) 180 days to provide a report describing “any recommendations for regulations or legislation necessary to protect consumers” in the ticketing world.
And it’s in connection with the report that the entities are now fielding comments concerning “harmful practices” in the live sector. The public, from consumers to companies, have until Monday, July 7th to weigh in if so inclined, according to the inquiry announcement.
In addition to insights pertaining to the previously highlighted “unfair and anticompetitive practices,” the DOJ and the FTC are welcoming comments about “the competitive effects of current state and federal regulations and laws in the live concert and entertainment industry.”
“We will continue to closely examine this market and look for opportunities where vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws can lead to increased competition that makes tickets more affordable for fans while offering fairer compensation for artists,” Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater added in part.
Time will, of course, reveal exactly what comes of the inquiry and different components of the executive order, which also instructed the FTC to ramp up enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act).
Today’s announcement underscored that the commission is “taking the lead” here. Though new charges have yet to materialize under the scalping-focused law, the FTC last month fired off a warning shot of sorts with an explainer entitled “BOTS Act compliance: Time for a refresher?”
To name one immediate example, today’s public-comments release also reiterated that the DOJ as well as 40 state and district attorneys general are litigating against Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary over “monopolization and other unlawful conduct.”
Meanwhile, the House closed out April by overwhelmingly approving the TICKET Act (which, in a nutshell, would mandate all-in pricing for tickets), and senators from both sides of the aisle kicked off a new round of Live Nation antitrust scrutiny.
This time, the involved lawmakers (who aren’t strangers to expressing concerns about the Ticketmaster parent’s operations) are zeroing in on a Fanatics pact.
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DOJ and FTC Launch Public Inquiry Into ‘Unfair and Anticompetitive’ Live/Ticketing Practices – Digital Music News
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