The following TechDirt Op-Ed co-authored by Anne Hobson (R Street Institute), and Christopher Koopman (Project for the Study of American Capitalism) questions whether Congress is genuinely interested in benefiting fans.

 “Responding to fan complaints about the paucity of tickets, de facto monopolist Live Nation Entertainment points to the scourge of “bots” – software that allows scalpers to buy tickets en masse and resell them on secondary-market sites like SeatGeek and Stubhub.

 

Instead of finding a solution on their own, ticket sellers want the federal government to do their policing for them. In July, Sens. Jerry Moran and Chuck Schumer introduced the BOTS Act, a bill that promises ‘equitable consumer access to tickets.’ The most recent Senate hearing on the issue featured compelling personal narratives about fans who weren’t able to get cheap tickets to popular shows, such as the hit musical ‘Hamilton.’

 

But closer analysis of the legislation’s details cast doubt on whether it truly would benefit fans. Indeed, it clearly misses several crucial pieces of the puzzle.”

To read more, go to TechDirt