PIL in Bombay High Court to tackle ticket scalping amid Coldplay concert controversy

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking stringent guidelines to combat ticket scalping and black marketing of online tickets for major events, following the recent controversy surrounding Coldplay concert tickets..The PIL was filed by Amit Vyas, founder-partner at Vertices Partners, amid growing concerns over ticketing practices exacerbated by technological advancements. A Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Amit Borkar decided to hear the case after the Diwali vacations, as the matter is already under inquiry.The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police is already investigating a complaint filed by Vyas..Vyas's petition highlights the pervasive issue of black marketing that has plagued both offline and online ticket sales. Allegedly, black marketers have been using bots to automate the ticket-purchasing process, allowing them to secure a large volume of tickets within seconds. These bots operate across multiple identities and IP addresses to circumvent restrictions set by primary ticket sellers (PTS) and primary ticket websites (PTW). In some instances, they even utilize "botnets"—networks of computers infected with malware—to perform multiple concurrent transactions, further facilitating bulk ticket purchases. This has rendered it nearly impossible for ordinary consumers to fairly compete for tickets.The issue became particularly evident during the recent sale of tickets for Coldplay's concerts on January 18, 19, and 21, 2025. Tickets went on sale via BookMyShow on September 22, 2024, at noon but sold out within just 30 minutes. Many users reported being logged out of the platform before the sale began, while tickets quickly appeared on Viagogo at prices 30 to 40 times higher than the original. .Vyas' plea raises apprehensions about the potential involvement of event organisers in reselling tickets through secondary market agents. He alleges that this systematic exploitation of fans is facilitated by companies like BookMyShow and Live Nation.Following the outcry, BookMyShow filed a First Information Report (FIR) against unknown individuals and is considering canceling tickets acquired through unethical means..Vyas asserts that ticket scalping violates several rights, including the right to equality and the right of access to public entertainment, while also breaching consumer protection laws and harming government revenue. He stated, "The above facts and circumstances serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing live events in the digital age, where the joy of securing tickets to see your favorite artist can quickly turn into a frustrating and potentially costly ordeal. It also highlights the need for a robust system to ensure fair access to tickets and prevent exploitation by ticket scalpers and bots.".In light of these serious allegations, the PIL requests the Court to frame guidelines to prevent ticket scalping and black marketing, as well as to urge the relevant authorities to establish effective laws and regulations to address the issue.The petition also calls for the constitution of an expert committee, led by a retired judge and including a cyber expert, to study and recommend measures for regulating online ticket sales.Additionally, it seeks the appointment of a monitoring committee to ensure the implementation of adequate security measures for online ticketing systems. Ticketing platforms are called upon to cooperate with the expert and monitoring committees by providing necessary information related to ticket sales, including those for the Coldplay concert scheduled to take place in January 2025 at Mumbai.