The president recently issued an executive order (Order), targeting allegedly unfair pricing practices such as “scalping” and “junk fees” in live entertainment ticketing. The Order prioritizes enforcement of price...more
On March 31, 2025, the Trump Administration issued a new Executive Order (EO), “Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market,” taking aim at certain practices in the live entertainment ticket resale market. The...more
President Donald Trump has issued "Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market," an executive order (EO) that calls on the U.S. Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce competition laws...more
Plaintiffs’ lawyers are capitalizing on ticket sale and resale laws enacted in a handful of states to file class action lawsuits against entertainment venues and ticket resellers that are allegedly “sneaking” in fees for...more
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced its final “Junk Fees Rule” (the “Rule”) that bans “mystery” or “junk fees” for live event tickets, hotels, and short-term rentals....more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized its long-anticipated Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (Final Rule), targeting hidden mandatory fees and ensuring transparent pricing disclosures to consumers. Unlike the Notice...more
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a long-anticipated final Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (the Rule), colloquially known as the “Junk Fees” Rule, targeting mandatory hidden fees and ensuring transparent pricing...more
Our Consumer Protection/FTC Team breaks down the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule regulating live-event ticket and hotel pricing practices....more
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that Illinois has joined an $82.5 million proposed antitrust settlement with Varsity Brands (Varsity). As a result, Illinois consumers who paid to participate in Varsity Brands’...more
On July 29, the attorney general (AG) for Washington, D.C. sued StubHub, Inc. (StubHub) for violations of the district’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The complaint accuses StubHub of employing “dark patterns,”...more
On June 30, 2024, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia filed an action against an online ticket exchange and resale website alleging violations of the District of Columbia’s Consumer...more
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has granted a limited appeal in Pittsburgh’s challenge to a Pennsylvania court ruling that the city’s tax on visiting athletes and performers is unconstitutional. ...more
Drip pricing, the practice of revealing hidden fees after a consumer has begun the purchasing process, has come under scrutiny. The Federal Trade Commission has labeled it a dark pattern, and California has taken steps to...more
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
The National Football League must pay more than $4.7 billion in class-action damages for overcharging subscribers of its “Sunday Ticket” telecasts, a California federal jury said on Thursday....more
Despite certifying the class action in Thompson-Marcial v Ticketmaster Canada LP on the basis of breach of contract, breach of legislation, conspiracy, negligence and unjust enrichment, the Ontario Superior Court declined to...more
In summer 2023, fans of Taylor Swift made international headlines when they took to social media to express their outrage at the ticket-buying experience for “The Eras Tour.” Fans of many artists have expressed their strong...more
A Los Angeles jury has found following a monthlong trial that StubHub owes more than $16 million for breaching its contract with Spotlight Ticket Management, which does business as TicketManager, and interfering in the...more
For more than a decade, companies have benefited immensely from the United States Supreme Court decision of AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, 563 U.S. 333 (2011), which upheld a company’s right to compel consumers into...more
Beginning in late 2023, plaintiffs have filed dozens of putative class action lawsuits against companies that sell tickets to entertainment venues and events in New York. These suits arise from allegations that companies are...more
In New York, there has been an uptick in class action lawsuits seeking to contest “hidden” ticket fees following online purchases. The New York Arts & Cultural Affairs Law was amended in August 2022, which has prompted dozens...more
Plaintiffs’ counsel have launched a wave of lawsuits against New York venues and ticket platforms, invoking a recently-enacted provision of New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. According to these lawsuits, these...more
It’s a well-known principle (amongst those who practice in certain professions) that if you’re trying to make something sexy, you generally don’t want to reveal everything all at once. Instead, it can be better to reveal...more
On October 11, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a proposed rule to prohibit so-called “junk fees” in connection with the sale of consumer goods and services. According to the FTC, the proposal, known as...more