Three ticket sellers in the New York area have been fined by the FTC under the BOTS Act, as Engadget reports. This is the first case brought under the Obama-era anti-scalping legislation passed in 2016. Three companies – Just in Time Tickets, Inc., Cartisim Corp., and Concert Specials, Inc. – and their heads – Evan Kohanian, Simon Ebrani and Steven Brani allegedly used ticket bots to buy tickets to spin on the resale market. A civil fine of a total of $ 3.7 million was imposed.
“The three ticket brokers will be subject to a ruling of more than $ 31 million in civil fines for violating the Better Online Sales Act (BOTS), under a proposed settlement reached with the FTC,” the case summary. “Because of their inability to pay, the verdict will be partially suspended, requiring them to pay $ 3.7 million.”
“The bipartisan sponsors of the law have tried to incite the abuse of unscrupulous actors against consumers whose ticking fingers have no algorithms to secure tickets online,” reads a statement from Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, acting FTC chairwoman, who worked on the BOTS. Performs during her work under Senator Chuck Schumer. “The settlements that our staff have negotiated with these alleged violators of the BOTS Act make it clear that serious consequences will befall those who defraud fans from a fair shot to secure tickets for live events.”
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