(PRNewsfoto/Live Nation Entertainment)

Live Nation /Ticketmaster have come under fire in recent years for what many concertgoers and bands decry as price fixing and artificially inflating ticket pricing, and scalping/reselling. The brand has been under investigation by the US Government after a major public outrage by fans after ticket fiascos such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and recently Blink-182. The United States Department of Justice and several states have officially filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Inc, citing alleged antitrust violations at least in part due to the market dominance of the company’s Ticketmaster unit.

 “We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”

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(PRNewsfoto/Live Nation Entertainment)

Live Nation /Ticketmaster have come under fire in recent years for what many concertgoers and bands decry as price fixing and artificially inflating ticket pricing, and scalping/reselling. The brand has been under investigation by the US Government after a major public outrage by fans after ticket fiascos such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and recently Blink-182. Now according to published reports by CNN and The Washington Post The United States Justice Department and several states are expected to file a lawsuit as soon as Thursday against Live Nation Inc, citing alleged antitrust violations at least in part due to the market dominance of the company’s Ticketmaster unit, a person briefed on the planned legal action said. If this lawsuit is successful, if would send shockwaves through the music induistry, the concert industry, down to booking agents, bands and fans. Live Nation has been the past recipient of ire specifically from metalheads after proof of collusion with bands to create a resale market with major bands, such as Metallica (Editor’s Note: basically every huge touring band has a rep that manages their Live Nation relationship), causing a major embarrassment for the band. In their rebuttal to the current case (but before the filing) being made against them (one of which is that they hold an unfair monopoly on the entire concert industry) they claim they are not unfair and entrants into the field for ticket sales have caused them to defend their brand. They have tried several campaigns to offset this lawsuit from coming down, including their support of the “Fair Ticketing Act,” launching the option for “all-in pricing,” and the On The Road program with Willie Nelson to help venues and stop the practice of merch cuts. Continue reading →