Cases of ticket scalping for performances have decreased after the introduction of regulations in June last year, Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang (王時思) said yesterday.
Amendments to the Cultural and Creative Industry Development Act (文化創意產業發展法), which raised fines for scalpers, were passed in May last year and took effect the following month.
Under the amendments, people selling tickets to performances at inflated prices can be fined 10 to 50 times the original value of the scalped tickets, up to a maximum of NT$3 million (US$92,143), and sentenced to up to three years in jail.
Photo courtesy of B’in Music
Since the amendments were adopted, the number of scalping cases reported to the ministry and the difference between the resale and original price of tickets have decreased, Wang said at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
The issue gained national attention after an engineer was last week arrested for developing software to help people purchase tickets online quickly.
From June 2 last year to April 1, the ministry received 131 reports of scalping in which people used false information or other improper means, such as computer programs, to purchase tickets to performances, Wang said.
Eight cases have been filed for investigation, three were submitted to district prosecutors’ offices, two were dismissed and the remainder are under investigation, she said.
Over the period, 2,105 cases of scalping were reported, and 609 valid cases were handed over to local governments for investigation, Wang said.
Local governments have completed investigations into 300 cases, along with other independent cases that were not handed over by the ministry, she said.
Fines totaling NT$2,084,490 have been imposed in 30 cases, she said.
The ministry encourages ticketing platforms and the organizers of performances to use a real-name ticketing systems, which it subsidizes, Wang said.
Twenty events have received the subsidy so far this year, including concerts by Japanese pop duo Yoasobi, Japanese singer-songwriter Minami and South Korean singer-songwriter IU, she said.
To help local government officials better handle scalping cases, the ministry held a briefing session and three training sessions last year, and has held three training sessions in northern, central and southern Taiwan so far this year, Wang said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) voiced concerns about the new tactics being used to resell tickets, such as giving them out as freebies with other goods.
In response, Wang said that the ministry would consult with relevant agencies and put forward guidelines regarding the issue within a month.
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