Antitrust Lawsuit Against Live Nation/Ticketmaster Thrown Out by Appeals Court

An antitrust lawsuit against concert ticket selling conglomerates Live Nation and Ticketmaster was thrown out of federal appeals court earlier this week, with the judges ruling that everyone else is at fault for effectively agreeing to the companies’ terms when buying those overpriced tickets.

According to reporting by Billboard, the initial complaint was filed back in 2020 and alleged that both companies were utilizing their “impregnable market power” to drive up costs and leave customers with very little alternative if they wanted to attend a show. However, in the judges’ 24-page ruling, judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District upheld a previous ruling that denied complainants the ability to file a class action lawsuit against the two major corporations.

Under their decision, the Judge Danny J. Boggs said that whenever you create a new account, sign into that account, and then buy tickets, you’re prompted to accept the terms of service. Of course, no one reads the fine print, so legally it seems like both companies can get away with it.

“At three independent stages — when creating an account, signing into an account, and completing a purchase — Ticketmaster and Live Nation webpage users are presented with a confirmation button above which text informs the user that, by clicking on this button, ‘you agree to our Terms of Use.’ A reasonable user would have seen the notice and been able to locate the terms via hyperlink.”

While this would sound like an issue for anyone looking to see change from both companies, especially in light of the heightened scrutiny they face after Taylor Swift fans couldn’t get their hands on tickets for her Eras tour, it’s important to note that the U.S. Department of Justice is also apparently looking into potential antitrust violations.

Regardless of this ruling, here’s hoping the bastards at the top can be taken to task so artists can be fairly paid and fans don’t get fleeced for simply wanting to enjoy a night out.