Regulatory Body Files Lawsuit Against Ticket broker for Bypassing Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Ticket Restrictions
In a significant move, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against ticket reseller Key Investment Group. The lawsuit, filed in Maryland federal court on Monday, alleges that the company and its executives have violated the BOTS Act and the FTC Act by using automated software, or bots, to evade purchasing limits and buy up thousands of tickets to live events, including Taylor Swift's Eras tour.
Key Investment Group, operators of ticket resale sites including TotalTickets.com, denies these allegations. They claim that their ticket purchases did not use automated software, or bots, as stated in the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, are currently facing a separate lawsuit by U.S. antitrust enforcers. The lawsuit against Ticketmaster alleges that the company is monopolizing markets across the live concert industry. However, it's important to note that this lawsuit against Ticketmaster is not related to the allegations made against Key Investment Group.
The FTC's lawsuit against Key Investment Group aims to put ticket sellers on notice that it will go after those who circumvent ticketing platforms' limits on ticket sales. The FTC alleges that Key Investment Group used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts, including fake or purchased accounts, to evade purchasing limits and buy up tickets. For one Swift concert, Key Investment Group used 49 different accounts to purchase 273 tickets.
In a response to the FTC's lawsuit, Key Investment Group filed a lawsuit in July to block the FTC's investigation. The names of the three leadership individuals of Key Investment Group who were charged by the FTC have not been disclosed in the search results.
This lawsuit against Key Investment Group is separate from the ongoing lawsuit against Ticketmaster, which is being handled by U.S. antitrust enforcers, not the FTC. The FTC's lawsuit against Key Investment Group is part of a crackdown announced by President Donald Trump in March focused on curbing exploitative ticket reselling practices.
