Justice Department to Sue Live Nation for Being “Illegal Monopoly”

(PatriotPostNews.com) – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Live Nation, alleging that the company monopolizes live events throughout the country and demanding that the system be dismantled.

On Thursday May 23, the federal government agency sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment, its parent company, seeking to have the two entities legally broken up to leave room for competitive business and reasonable pricing for eventgoers.

The lawsuit was filed in a Manhattan federal court and is backed by the district attorneys general from 30 states. It is an effort to take down the companies’ monopoly business and allow for more profits with smaller companies, assist struggling performers, and prevent those who purchase tickets from being forced to pay massive fees.

United States Attorney General Merrick Garland said via a DOJ press release that concert fans and musicians must “stop paying the price” for the monopoly of the entertainment company. He added that “it is time” for business competition and innovation to be “restore[d]” to the entertainment industry.

According to the civil complaint, Live Nation has engaged in retaliation and threats to prevent competition from intruding on its profits. These methods have effectively led the company to gain complete control over the industry, including advertising for events and selling tickets. Merrick explained that the result of this is an “endless list of fees” imposed on concert attendees.

Live Nation has denied accusations that it has broken antitrust laws for years. With the new legal battle, the company said that it will not “solve the issues” for fans, including pricing for tickets and fees. The entertainment business added that labeling Ticketmaster as “a monopoly” is only a “short term” victory related to the DOJ’s public relations efforts.

Live Nation also expressed confidence that the lawsuit will “lose in court” due to its alleged disregard for “basic economics of live entertainment.” Though calling the case “baseless allegations,” the company is willing to argue in court.