London - Artist management firms representing more than 400 performing artists, including Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and KT Tunstall, have joined together to try to secure artists a share of secondary online concert ticket sales. The Resale Rights Society (RRS) is targeting companies such as eBay, Viagogo and Seat Exchange, which generate an estimated more than $400 million annually in secondary ticket sales in the U.K.

The group hopes to introduce a certification system for such sites, to "ensure music fans are protected from unscrupulous or bogus resellers," as well as "ensure that artists and the live music industry share in the proceeds of resold tickets."

"The secondary ticketing market offers benefits to music fans and the live music industry alike. It does not make sense to try and criminalize it," said Marc Marot, former CEO of Island Records and Resale Rights Society chairman-elect.

"On the other hand there are not only real issues of consumer protection here, it is unacceptable that not a penny of the estimated £200m in transactions generated by the resale of concert tickets in the UK is returned to the investors in the live music industry. Where this trade is fair to consumers, we propose to authorize it by agreeing a levy on all transactions."

While the RRS hopes to finalize agreements on levies with online ticket exchanges by March 2008, the group is sure to face stiff opposition from the ticket exchanges.

"What they are saying here is no different to (saying) that if you had a used Ford car you should pay Ford a tax when you sold it," Viagogo founder Eric Baker told Reuters.

"If I have a Harry Potter book to re-sell, do I pay J.K. Rowling twice?"

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/1uv98

http://uk.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUKL0411708220071204

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2007/12/ticket_sales

http://www.viagogo.com