What Canada's industry minister had to say about the U.S. Ticketmaster lawsuit
After the U.S. Justice Department announced a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, Canada鈥檚 minister of industry says the country will be 鈥渓ooking at what has been announced鈥 while generally 鈥渇ighting for more competition in every sector of the Canadian economy.鈥
The U.S. lawsuit was announced Thursday, and accused the event ticketing service of running an 鈥渋llegal monopoly over live events.鈥
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill after the announcement, Industry Minister Francois Philippe Champagne said the federal government will be 鈥渢aking more steps鈥 towards fair competition legislation, adding Canada has 鈥渋nvested more in terms of enforcement.鈥
鈥淲e have new tools in the toolbox to have more competition and to be able to also conduct investigations,鈥 Champagne said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e going to be looking into that, and obviously this is something that I know is of concern to Canadians and obviously it鈥檚 a concern to me.鈥
As reported by The Associated Press, the recent antitrust lawsuit with Ticketmaster, filed in federal court in Manhattan, involved 30 state and district attorneys, and claimed that the event ticketing company is 鈥渟queezing out smaller promoters, hurting artists and downing ticket buyers in fees.鈥
Ticketmaster鈥檚 parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, has had a track record of conflict between major artists and their fans, including Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift, according to The AP.
Live Nation has denied for years that it is violating antitrust laws, and said the lawsuit won't improve access or ticket prices. The lawsuit has not been tested in court.
In an email statement sent to CTVNews.ca, the industry minister鈥檚 office says Canadians echo the concern of U.S. legislators, noting that 鈥淐anadians seek transparency and fair pricing, particularly in sporting and event ticket sales.鈥
鈥淚n Budget 2024, we affirmed our unwavering dedication to upholding federal regulations against deceitful marketing tactics, such as concealed fees,鈥 the statement said, adding that the minister of industry will continue to work with provinces and territories to advocate for the 鈥渁doption of best practices in ticket sales.鈥
鈥淭his includes prioritizing transparency, bolstering protections for consumers, and combatting fraudulent resellers and practices that artificially inflate prices.鈥
With files from the Associated Press
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