Can I see your ticket, please?

Not satisfied with the stranglehold it already has on event ticketing in the US, Ticketmaster is looking to take a bite out of the increasingly lucrative resale market. According to an article in the latest issue of BusinessWeek, the company is pushing for legislation that would essentially make it illegal to scalp tickets unless you did so through, say, Ticketmaster. The move is a response to the burgeoning industry of ticket reselling that has sprung up thanks to eBay and more targeted outlets like StubHub.com.

It's an interesting situation. There is no love lost between Ticketmaster and fans who balk at paying a huge slice of their ticket price in "building fees" and "processing charges." At the same time, a select few are willing to pay all that and much, much more to get the best seats to the most exclusive events. It's a disconnect, as the type of person using the resellers likely is much better off and doesn't feel the same animosity toward Ticketmaster that the rank and file surely do.