Ted Welch has weighed in on the recently filed state bill that would tighten ownership guidelines for concert and sporting event ticket buyers. The Fairness in Ticketing Act of 2012, he says, stands to hurt fans and venues alike.

This bill has a few provisions that would benefit fans, but its real impact will be to guarantee that Ticketmaster and its event-producing and sports team partners have all the power over ticket distribution, even AFTER we pay for our tickets. More than half of the sports and entertainment season ticket buyers are businesses and professional firms. How many more tickets would go to waste if those entities saw their freedom to distribute tickets taken away?