Entertainment
Thousands of tickets to Taylor Swift and other events illegally resold by broker, FTC alleges
A Maryland ticket broker is accused of illegally purchasing and reselling hundreds of thousands of tickets for profit, including thousands to Taylor Swift’s highly sought Eras Tour.
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Key Investment Group, saying the company made millions of dollars in profit from reselling the tickets at inflated prices.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, Aug. 18, in U.S. District Court in Maryland, accuses the company and its affiliates of bypassing Ticketmaster’s security measures designed to block resellers from violating ticket-purchase limits.
Key Investment Group also did business under the names Epic Seats, TotalTickets.com LLC and Totally Tix LLC, according to the complaint.
The FTC alleges that, in a one year period, the group purchased at least 379,776 tickets from Ticketmaster at a cost of nearly $57 million. The company then allegedly resold those tickets on secondary marketplaces for about $64 million.
In a statement, Key Investment Group said it will “vigorously defend itself against this clear example of regulatory overreach.” It claims the FTC “misleadingly characterizes KIG’s use of standard internet browsers,” and said the government’s case “threatens to dismantle the secondary ticket market for live events.”
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets
Between March and August of 2023, Key Investment Group allegedly purchased 10 or more tickets to 38 Taylor Swift concerts, totaling 2,280 tickets, according to the complaint. The FTC says the company made more than $1.2 million in profit reselling those tickets.
For just one Taylor Swift show, the defendants allegedly used 49 different accounts to buy 273 tickets. The Eras Tour had a six-ticket purchase limit per customer, per event.
Among other events the FTC alleges were targeted was a 2023 Bruce Springsteen concert in New Jersey. Despite a four-ticket limit, the defendants allegedly purchased and resold more than 1,500 tickets.
How the alleged scheme worked
According to the FTC, the group used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts, both fictitious and third-party accounts it had purchased, to bypass security measures and purchase the tickets.
The company is also accused of using thousands of credit card numbers, including virtual card numbers, spoofing IP addresses to hide the identity of the ticket purchaser, and using SIM technology to collect the incoming verification codes.
In doing so, the FTC said the brokers violated the FTC Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, which prohibits people from “circumventing a security measure, access control system, or other technological control or measure on an internet website or online service that is used by the ticket issuer to enforce posted event ticket limits or to maintain the integrity of posted online ticket purchasing order rules.”
Entertainment
Prince Harry’s cousin Amelia Windsor tries to be his replacement in royal family
King Charles has one big royal seat empty since Meghan Markle has left for America with her family.
Trying to be the fit for this role, Prince Harry’s cousin Lady Amelia Windsor has stepped out to catch attention in black.
The 30 year old was at the premiere of Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, wearing a gown by Percy Langley that was as elegant as it was intentional.
Fashion followers were quick to spot that this wasn’t the dress’s first outing.
Known for championing sustainable style long before it became a buzzword, Lady Amelia has worn the gown on multiple occasions, reinforcing her belief that true luxury lies in rewearing.
Whispers are now swirling that she could be stepping into a whole new chapter of her life .
Although neither she nor her rumored partner have confirmed anything yet but according to insider she may soon be engaged to her long-term boyfriend, property developer Ollie Lewis.
Amelia is currently 44th in line to the throne and has been linked with Lewis for several years, and fans of the couple have enjoyed watching their relationship grow from festival flings to public appearances on major social stages.
Their story first attracted attention at Glastonbury 2023, where the pair were photographed hugging and kissing amid the crowds even alongside her sister Lady Marina and her now-fiancé, Nico Macauley.
Entertainment
Timothée Chalamet surpasses Leonardo DiCaprio milestone
Timothée Chalamet has settled into a spot previously occupied by Leonardo DiCaprio, less than a week after beating him to best actor glory at the 2026 Golden Globes.
The newly stamped winner’s film, Marty Supreme, has surpassed the DiCaprio-starrer One Battle After Another at the box office this week.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the latest news was recorded on Tuesday, with Chalamet’s release “passing up Leonardo DiCaprio’s rival Oscar contender One Battle After Another to end the day with an estimated cume of $72.27 million.”
With the action thriller grossing “slightly north of $71.6 million” at the US box office, the A24 sports drama is currently the highest earner.
Furthermore, despite One Battle being ahead at the global turnover with an estimate of $154.5 million, Marty Supreme is also eyeing competition along the same territory.
“Based on early returns, box office experts believe Marty Supreme could do substantial business overseas and end up north of $170 million to $180 million globally, if not higher,” THR’s report claimed.
Timothée Chalamet’s latest achievement in his Leonardo DiCaprio competition comes just days after the younger star beat his formidable peer at the Golden Globes.
The American-French actor bagged Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy award, defeating the Titanic actor, who was one of his competitors in the same category.
Entertainment
Labubu doll maker accused of unfair labour practices, Chinese Labour Watch reveals
While the trendy toy Labubu has started fading from the scene after taking the world by storm, the Labubu manufacturer seems to be drawing criticism for allegedly exploiting workers, as claimed by a labour rights organisation, China Labour Watch (CLW).
CLW accused the Chinese factory that makes the popular Labubu dolls of exploiting its workforce.
A following investigation into the matter revealed that Shunjia Toys Co Ltd, a supplier for Pop Mart, subjected employees to excessive overtime, required them to sign blank or incomplete contracts, and denied them paid leave.
For those unfamiliar, the Labubu dolls, known for their viral appeal and sales in “blind boxes,” have gained immense traction worldwide.
Responding to the allegations, Pop Mart stated that it is probing the claims and emphasised its commitment to ensuring that suppliers rectify any identified issues.
Pop Mart conducts regular audits of its suppliers, including annual independent reviews by internationally recognised inspectors. The investigation by CLW involved 51 in-person interviews with factory workers regarding recruitment, contracts, and working conditions.
The factory, located in Guangdong province, has over 4,500 workers and is the primary manufacturing facility for Pop Mart.
As outlined in CLW’s report, several labour violations were committed at Shunjia Toys, including illegal overtime, unclear contract practices, and inadequate safety training.
While no child labour was found, the factory employed 16-year-olds under the same conditions as adults, violating Chinese labour laws that mandate special protections for minors.
CLW urged Pop Mart to take immediate action to address these issues, compensate affected workers, and comply with both Chinese labour laws and international standards.
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