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Bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) passed the U.S. House of Representatives last night by a voice vote. H.R. 5104, the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, would make the use of hacking software to circumvent security measures employed by ticketing sites an “unfair and deceptive practice” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, and a crime under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. It would also give state attorneys general the power to bring civil action suits against violators on behalf of parties harmed by the use of bots.

“People work hard and save money to see a performance or a game, and they shouldn’t be prohibited from buying a ticket online because a computer program beats them to the punch. It’s not right. This legislation puts a stop to this unseemly practice at its root, prohibiting use or sale of bot software and empowering consumers to fight back against price manipulators in the ticket industry. I thank Representative Blackburn for her leadership on this issue, as well as New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has already begun to crack down on this problem at the state level,” said Tonko.

In New York, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that he would introduce legislation as part of a bid to crack down on the use of bot software. Companion legislation to the BOTS Act was introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) in the United States Senate and is awaiting action. If it passes the Senate, the bill would then be presented to President Obama to be signed into law.

Organizations supporting this bipartisan legislation include The Recording Academy, Pandora, and Live Nation Entertainment.

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