Judge Rules Concert Ticket Fees Equal To Scalping

A supreme court ruling handed down yesterday suggests that ticketing giant Ticketmaster (US) are subject to the same regulations as scalpers when it comes to additional fees that inflate the face value of tickets.

The news come after the ticketing giant were taken to court by Corey McMillan, an angry patron who believes the company are breaking the law that forbids the sale of tickets above their face value plus reasonable credit card or handling fees. The Arkansas man was incensed at the $49 in fees he was forced to pay when purchasing four $42.75 tickets for a Jason Aldean show this year.

The company disputed the argument the law was intended for legitimate businesses such as theirs and rather was only to prevent scalping of tickets; a lower court disagreed with them last month but the global giant took petitioned the Arkansas Supreme Court for confirmation yesterday, asking for a rehearing of the case. The votes came in 4-3 against the company.

This isn't to say, however, that the company are seen to be conducting illegal operations in this particular case, but it does bring the fees charged by ticketing companies into the legal spotlight in the most considerable way we have seen yet.

The case continues.