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Senate Takes Aim at 'Bots' that Snap Up Concert Tickets

posted by martyb on Saturday December 03 2016, @11:07PM   
from the Karn-Evil-9 dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

The Senate is cracking down on computer software used by ticket brokers to snap up tickets to concerts and shows.

Senators passed legislation by voice vote Wednesday that would make using the software an "unfair and deceptive practice" under the Federal Trade Commission Act and allow the FTC to pursue those cases. The House passed similar legislation in September, but the bills are not identical so the Senate legislation now moves to the House.

The so-called "bots" rapidly purchase as many tickets as possible for resale at significant markups. They are one of the reasons why tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert or "Hamilton" performance can sell out in just a few minutes.

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran sponsored the bill. He says it takes aim at artificially inflated prices.

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Original Submission

• The plan will not work (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 04 2016, @07:23PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 04 2016, @07:23PM (#436958)

  Senators passed legislation by voice vote Wednesday that would make using the software an "unfair and deceptive practice" under the Federal Trade Commission Act and allow the FTC to pursue those cases.

  And, as is usual with politicians that don't understand technology, it will make zero difference.

  There is so much revenue for Ticketmaster to make with their scam, that if the politicians outlaw using bots, all Ticketmaster will do is outsource the "bots" to India where humans will work for 5 cents per day to buy tickets, and they will have an "army of humans" snapping up every last ticket on opening day instead of an "army of bots".

  And the result will be that the ticketmaster scam will simply continue.

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