The House on Monday overwhelmingly passed legislation to make the use of the software an “unfair and deceptive practice” under the Federal Trade Commission Act and allow the FTC to go after those who use it. Kansas Sen.
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No vote on the BOTS Act- which stands for Better On-line Ticket Sales Act has yet been scheduled on the Senate floor.
The law has the support of many in the ticket industry.
“The hard-earned money our fans spend on tickets to our sporting events should benefit our schools and student-athletes, not third parties who seek to make a quick buck off of our most passionate supporters”, Bowlsby said.
Seller said he wasn’t interested in upending the secondary market – but the bots issue needs to be addressed.
“Arts organizations are constantly trying to keep ticket prices accessible, and ticket bots are a major obstacle for patrons”, said Michael S. Rosenberg, Managing Director of the La Jolla Playhouse.
The National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB), a lobbying firm based in Washington, DC, with members around the world, also supports the legislation.
“Every time we put a new block of tickets on sale, the “robots” or “bots” have invaded the Ticketmaster system the second they went on sale and then electronically purchased nearly all of the available inventory.” said Jeffrey Seller, “Hamilton” producer.
The BOTS Act of 2016, introduced in both the House and Senate, would prohibit the use of ticket robot software.
“I’m not here to prevent buying and selling, I’m here to make a level playing field so everybody has the same shot at that ticket”, he said.
Omri Iluz, the company’s CEO, says the legislation is “one way to ensure that Internet ecommerce would be safeguarded from cyber raiders” if passed.
For example, a single bot snagged more than a thousand tickets for a U2 show in the first minute – despite a limit of four tickets per customer.
And in a statement released by Sen.
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“Scalpers have always been driving up ticket prices and harming consumers, but their methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated”, said Sen. We applaud Senator Moran for introducing this legislation to make sure those who create and take part in fantastic events are properly rewarded. “It’s important for lawmakers to act swiftly on this to help create a music economy that works for everyone”.
