Those horrible “scalper bots” that ruined many people’s dreams of seeing the beloved The Tragically Hip in concert for the last time this past summer could soon be outlawed in Ontario.
The sophisticated computer software scoops up blocks of tickets to concerts and major sporting events before many fans have the chance to whip out their credit card and buy them, forcing them into the way more expensive resale market.
Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said that the government plans to introduce legislation next spring that would make it illegal to use the scalper bots for bulk ticket purchases.
The thing is, there’s nothing to stop the scumbags in other jurisdictions from using the software to purchase the tickets and then resell them in Ontario for way above face value.
“The enforcement piece is an important issue, and frankly speaking there’s no silver bullet, but inaction is not the answer either,” Naqvi said yesterday, according to the Canadian Press.
“People on the other side can be really smart and use the technology really well, and we need to be aware of that as we develop our strategies to protect consumers, to protect our artists, and to make sure people can enjoy concerts and hockey games when they want to,” he said.
He said the government needs to do something to ensure consumers get a “fair shot” at tickets to big events like the Tragically Hip’s farewell tour (after all, CBC won’t broadcast every concert).
“We need to make sure that there is fairness and some level of transparency,” he said.
Getting right to the root of it, Progressive Conservative Todd Smith said the government should also ban the sale and purchase of “scalper bot” software, and require ticket buyers to use their credit card to pick up their tickets at the event.
This past summer, though, many Dave Matthews Band concertgoers missed half the show waiting in a never-ending 90-minute long line to pick up will-call tickets thanks to the band’s request to ban e-tickets.
Obviously, there needs to be a better way.
The Torys point fingers at the Liberals for creating this disaster in the first place because they changed the Ticket Speculation Act last year to make it legal to resell tickets above their original face value.
Naqvi plans to engage in “targeted consultations” with consumer groups, entertainers and his colleagues in other jurisdictions like New York to tackle the problem of ticket scalping and “bots.”
“I want to see what kind of solutions we can put in place,” said Naqvi. “Are there technological solutions that could be implemented so we can prevent that kind of mass scooping?”
The government’s legislation will build on a private member’s bill by Liberal Sophie Kiwala, who also tried to ban the “scalper bots.”
Here’s to hoping it passes before next summer’s concert season.
[ninja_form id=104]
[ad_bb1]