Taylor Swift fans aren’t the only ones who have “Bad Blood” with Ticketmaster.
Kinder Law PLLC, the woman-owned personal injury law firm in Dallas, Texas, is currently representing 355 Swifties in a lawsuit against Ticketmaster. The suit, originally filed by lead plaintiff Julie Barfuss in 2022, claims the ticketing giant violated breach of contract, fraud, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and anti-trust violations following Swift’s infamous Eras Tour ticket sale, which left millions of fans empty-handed.
Now, Kinder Law is representing an additional 365 fans in a new suit, Candejas v. Live Nation. The suit was filed on Thursday in a Los Angeles Supreme Court and includes Swifties, as well as fans of artists like Beyonce, The Cure, and K-pop bands. Similar to the Barfuss v. Live Nation case, the new suit asserts five claims: breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, negligence, and antitrust violations. Additionally, the suit includes a claim that Live Nation violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
| READ: From the Eras Tour to DOJ Lawsuit: Swifties’ Take on Breaking Up Live Nation-Ticketmaster |
Jennifer Kinder of Kinder Law told TicketNews the team is “excited to continue the fight against Ticketmaster.”
“Ticketmaster has done nothing but delay the original lawsuit with appeal after appeal,” Kinder said. “This new lawsuit reiterates our stance against Ticketmaster and adds new claims of RICO violations. We will not stop until Ticketmaster changes ticket sales in the US and is held accountable.”
The new suit follows the decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling in Heckman v. Live Nation, which said Live Nation could not enforce contract provisions that required ticket buyers to arbitrate their claims instead of suing them in federal court. The appeals panel called the arbitration rules unfair to consumers, while “overtly” beneficial to defendants. The ruling has created an unprecedented opportunity for fans to hold Live Nation accountable in court.
Kinder celebrated the appeals court ruling, telling Ticket News that they are “ecstatic.”
“It’s the first step in a long march to justice,” Kinder said. “Consumers arm in arm until the monster (Ticketmaster) is defeated. We will not stop until consumers have fairness and equity in live entertainment. Consumers are NEVER, EVER, GETTING BACK TOGETHER….with Ticketmaster.”
Currently, Live Nation and Ticketmaster are the targets of an antitrust lawsuit, brought forth by the Department of Justice and 39 states, alongside the District of Columbia. The antitrust suit, compiled in a document of over 100 pages, claims that Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s business model violates both federal and state laws in multiple ways, citing the pair’s anticompetitive conduct and monopolistic control of the industry.
