Brazil’s House approved a bill dubbed the “Taylor Swift Act,” which criminalizes ticket scalping at concerts in the country.
The lawsuit, which was introduced by three lawmakers separately following Taylor Swift’s infamous Eras Tour sale, was approved by the House floor. While ticket scalping is already illegal for sporting events, the legislation is geared to include more ticketing events.
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According to the bill, those who scalp tickets for a higher price than face value will be punished by up to two years in jail, alongside a fine of 50 times the value of the ticket. Additionally, those who divert tickets to supply scalpers can face jail sentence of up to three years, with fines of 100 times the value of the tickets. If the crime is committed by public servants or event organizers, penalties will be aggravated by one-third.
There is one distinction in the bill that has raised eyebrows, however; the bill noted that ticket scalping will not be punished unless it is practiced “regularly.” This distinction is ambiguous, which could lead to possible inconsistent rule enforcement, as the bill did not specify how judges will differentiate between “regular” and “occasional” scalpers.
The bill will now head to the Senate.