A legal battle has erupted between Live Nation’s Ticketmaster and a proposed consumer class action over their sales of Taylor Swift concert tickets, Reuters reported.
The dispute has prompted Ticketmaster to ask a US judge to halt the proceedings and instead force any claims to be heard privately in arbitration. This is an unprecedented move by the ticketing giant, who are seeking to avoid public scrutiny of their practices.
Related: Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco Subject Of Senate Judiciary Hearing On Ticketmaster
In response to the fiasco, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have teamed up with Taylor Swift to ensure fans get the opportunity to experience her concerts. The two companies have created a unique system that provides better access to tickets for Swift’s shows. They are using a “verified fan” approach that requires potential ticket buyers to register ahead of time in order to be eligible to purchase tickets.
The December lawsuit alleged the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster eliminated market competition and let the companies charge higher prices for Swift tickets than they otherwise could.
In its Friday court filing, Beverly Hills-based Live Nation said the ticket purchaser who filed the case “repeatedly agreed” to arbitrate any claims arising from her use of Ticketmaster’s online systems.
