Ticketmaster Suit Halts Scalpers

Judge blocks software after outcry from Hannah Montana fans
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 16, 2007 11:13 AM CDT
Ticketmaster Suit Halts Scalpers
In this photo released by Disney, teen star Miley Cyrus gets a hug from fan Deana Kellermier, 12, of Cape Coral, Fla., during an appearance at World of Disney NYC, Thursday, June 21, 2007, in New York. More than 1,500 fans waited in line to meet the 14-year-old star of Disney Channel%u2019s %u201CHannah...   (Associated Press)

Fans frustrated in their pursuit of instantly sold-out online tickets caught a break yesterday when a federal judge halted the use of scalper software on Ticketmaster. RMG Technologies' software let prospectors buy out concerts and resell tickets at inflated prices, Reuters reports. "They're cheating consumers, and we're not going to stand for it anymore," said a Ticketmaster lawyer.

Public outcry reached a fever pitch when tickets for Hannah Montana, a 14-year-old Disney Channel star, hit $2,500 to $3,000 on the secondary market—nearly 100 times the face value. Ticketmaster sued RMG just before tickets for the tour went on sale in April, and complains that scalpers have only grown "more and more brazen" since. (More Ticketmaster stories.)

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