Wednesday, May 27, 2009

German Promoter Fights Secondary Ticket Market (With Some Success)

Over a Depeche Mode show. From Billboard:
The District Court of Munich prohibited dealing in indirectly purchased concert tickets for the June 2-13 German leg of the tour, following legal action by the promoter.

In preliminary injunction proceedings, at the request of Marek Lieberberg Konzertagentur (MLK), the District Court of Munich prohibited the Internet ticket portal Ventic, which has a German service operated by Smartfox Media based in Roermond, Netherlands, from trading in tickets that Smartfox obtains direct from the MLK distribution system or through third parties. In these proceedings, MLK was supported by the two associations of the concert industry, idkv and VDKD.

Concert promoter Marek Lieberberg in Frankfurt comments: "This decision is the first small step toward the long overdue regulation of ticket sales and the restriction of black market trading. Our aim must be to prevent professional ticket auctions and unacceptable commissions that often come to a multiple of the actual price of admission. At stake here is not so much giving the artists a further share, but the protection of ticket buyers against dubious sources and excessive premiums."

Secondary market ticket-sellers reduce concert-going to Darwinian levels where seat purchase is determined solely by income level, social contacts with the promoters, and/or the ability to log on at the exact, necessary time. Next time Hannah Montana does a show in Portland, why should any local 14 year old be forced to compete against a ticket broker sitting on his ass in Houston?

Regardless of what happens in Germany, nothing is going to change in US unless concert goers force a change, by sitting it out and letting the resellers and promoters take a serious bath.

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