Paul Singer Interviewed by Billboard on Ticketmaster Lawsuit

Partner and State Attorneys General practice chair Paul Singer was interviewed by Billboard on the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation, as well as general background information on state and FTC enforcement on matters of consumer protection. Seven state AGs and the FTC are coordinating on the Ticketmaster lawsuit, which claims the company did not enforce its policies against using bots to purchase large amounts of tickets.

Paul explains the partnership between the FTC and state AGs, saying ​“It’s not unusual to see joint actions like this. In cases alleging violations of federal law — like the BOTS Act, which targets automated ticket-buying software — states often must notify the FTC before filing. That opens the door for the FTC to join in.”

Although bots are a target of this enforcement action, Paul points out that the issue is a lot bigger. ​“When the BOTS Act passed, automated scripts were the main way people were circumventing ticket limits. But the industry evolved — now there are networks of people creating fake accounts or coordinating mass purchases manually. The complaint essentially argues that Ticketmaster turned a blind eye to this activity because it benefited from it financially.”

The case also covers deceptive pricing, which Paul notes is a trend in state AG and FTC enforcement activity.

“Price transparency has become a major enforcement priority for both the FTC and states. The core idea is simple — when you quote a price, consumers should clearly understand what they’re going to pay… Regulators want those mandatory fees shown upfront, not buried later in the process. It also matters for comparison shopping. If fans can’t tell the real total price until the final step, they can’t make informed choices between seats or sellers.”

Read the full interview here. Subscription required.