Ticketmaster, TicketsNow could face fines if Queen's Park proposal becomes law

The Ontario government was set to introduce new legislation Wednesday prohibiting the resale of popular music and sporting event tickets at inflated prices through ticket auction websites.

If passed, the bill, titled Ontario's Ticket Speculation Act, would disallow companies such as Ticketmaster from reselling tickets to concerts, theatre shows and sporting events for higher than face value.

Ticketmaster has been under fire recently for its ownership of the ticket auction website, TicketsNow, and the legislation was tabled in response to public outrage that tickets were being resold there at jacked-up prices.

"Ontarians have spoken out clearly, resoundingly and unequivocally against companies benefiting from the primary and secondary markets. This is about fairness," said Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley in a news release. "We are determined to ensure that Ontarians have fair access to entertainment tickets for events taking place in the province."

Fans say they were notified that tickets to popular concerts like Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen, were unavailable through Ticketmaster but were then redirected to the company's subsidiary, TicketsNow, for tickets at inflated prices.

The legislation carries with it an individual fine of up to $5,000 while a corporation can be hit with a $50,000 fine. source>>>

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