BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 329
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                       AB 329 (Pan) - As Amended:  May 7, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Arts Vote:  5-2
                        Judiciary                             10-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally use or sell  
          software to circumvent a security measure, access control  
          system, or other control or measure on a ticket seller's website  
          that is used to ensure an equitable ticket buying process.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Potential minor non-reimbursable costs to cities and counties  
          for enforcement, offset to some extent by fine revenues.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . According to the author, the unregulated use of robotic  
          ticket buying software (or bots) allows scalpers to unfairly  
          create instant sellouts of events before the average fan has a  
          chance to buy tickets. These persons subsequently sell tickets  
          they purchased through bots at highly marked-up prices, forcing  
          fans to pay more for tickets when they have not had any fair  
          opportunity to purchase a face-value ticket directly from the  
          ticket issuer or event organizer. 

          Amendments taken in the Assembly Arts & Entertainment Committee  
          limited the bill to only the current prohibition of the sale or  
          use of robotic ticket buying software. Several professional  
          sports teams and other ticket sellers who previously opposed the  
          bill now support it, and there is no known opposition to the  
          current version of the bill.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 









                                                                  AB 329
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