UK MPs and senior music and ticketing industry representatives are to discuss a possible ban on ticket bots during a Parliamentary Committee meeting next week.
The one-off session, held by the Culture, Media & Sport (CMS) Committee on November 15, will look into ticket touting and specifically the use of software such as bots to ‘scalp’ primary tickets before they are sold at inflated prices on the secondary market.
The session concerns a potential amendment to the Digital Economy Bill, which is about to make its way through Parliament. The amendment, originally tabled during the public bill committee stage of the process, would make it illegal to use digital purchasing software to buy an excessive number of tickets.
Event industry witnesses at the session will include Ian McAndrew, chief executive of artist management company Wildlife Entertainment, Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of the Music Managers Forum body, and You Me At Six band member Josh Franceschi.
Ticketmaster chairman Chris Edmonds, Paul Peak, StubHub’s head of legal (Europe) and Professor Michael Waterson, author of the Independent Review of Consumer Protection Measures concerning Online Secondary Ticketing Facilities, will also take part.
A spokesperson for the CMS Committee said in a statement: “Given the topicality of this issue, the Committee’s evidence session considers the problems caused by digital ticket purchasing software, also known as bots, and the reselling of tickets to major events harvested by touts, with a range of relevant interested parties.”
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