Japan Today (Japan) (03/19/19)

Scalpers in Japan have been able to resell event tickets online with virtual impunity, but that could change with a wide crackdown, facilitated by a new law fast-tracked by nonpartisan legislators. "Before, there had been growing complaints from the music industry, but since this spring when ticket sales to next year's Tokyo Olympics began, the issue became more urgent," says a crime journalist. The law, which takes effect on June 14, carries a prison sentence of one year or longer and/or a fine of up to 1 million yen ($8,979) for offenders. The statute could potentially make ticket scalping a nonviable business in Japan by the 2020 Olympics. An anonymous scalper says the Internet is already moving ahead of the law's enactment, with websites like Ticket Camp enabling consumers to purchase tickets while circumventing scalpers. "This sucked up a lot of the extra tickets until the authorities shut down Ticket Camp on suspicion of trademark violation," the scalper notes. "But all that succeeded in doing was encouraging more people to start up new websites."

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