Lawmakers yesterday stepped up efforts to crack down on ticket scalping by imposing stiffer punishments, including a fine of up to NT$3 million (US$97,536) and a maximum jail term of three years.
The Legislative Yuan approved on third reading amendments to the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries Act (文化創意產業發展法) that would impose fines of between 10 and 50 times the price that scalpers sold the ticket.
The amendments define scalpers as anyone who “sells tickets for arts and cultural performances at more than the face value or price,” or who “uses false information or other improper means such as computer programs or other related equipment to purchase tickets for arts and cultural performances, or obtain reservations or vouchers.”
Photo: CNA
Lawmakers emphasized the need to crack down on scalpers in the face of rising public discontent and frustration over difficulties purchasing tickets for performances, as new technologies and online platforms enable scalpers to use algorithms to purchase tickets in bulk and resell them at exorbitant prices.
“Concerts have brought more business for Taiwan’s cultural and creative industries and helped stimulate the local economy,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said.
“However, ticket scalpers are getting fatter by reaping more illegal profits,” she said.
Enhanced prosecution is needed as scalpers have seriously breached the rights of consumers to enjoy arts, cultural and entertainment activities at reasonable and fair prices, she said.
The law was too lenient in the past, “but now we have the weapons to fight them and punish them more severely,” she added.
The amendments would also set up a “whistle-blower mechanism,” with people providing information on scalpers receiving a financial reward after prosecution.
“The Ministry of Culture could encourage event organizers to use real-name registration for ticket purchases by providing subsidies,” Wu said.
The amendments also call on the ministry to establish a ticket-exchange platform to resell or swap tickets via an open, fair and reasonable process.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
RSS