In a effort to continue to keep the ceremony closed to the general public, the Academy Awards this week sued Arizona-based marketing company McMurry, Inc., and its luxury brand magazine and division “6”, for allegedly trying to resell tickets to the Oscars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has long prohibited the resale of tickets to the Oscars ceremony, in part to keep the attendees safe from stalkers and or terrorists. But, according to brokers TicketNews spoke to, there are some brokers who occasionally try to resell the coveted tickets.
Though, they warn that the practice is not worth the effort. “You don’t want to touch it,” said one East Coast broker. “They have issued lawsuits if you try to sell them. It’s a disaster.”
According to published reports, McMurry was allegedly offering a $175,000 VIP package that included luxury hotel accommodations, tickets to the ceremony, top-shelf stylists and a camera crew to record the experience.
Chris McMurry, CEO of McMurry, Inc., did not return a message seeking comment. If the offer had been on the company’s Web site earlier in the week, it appears to have been removed.
The Oscars are scheduled for February 22 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. The Academy’s lawsuit was filed in federal court in California and seeks an injunction and damages.
