AXS Sues SecureMyPass Over Alleged Fake Tickets
Claims ticketgoers have been refused entry to major events
AXS is suing SecureMyPass, a third-party, web-based service that enables ticket brokers to transfer secondary-market tickets to buyers without formally transferring the ticket out of the original purchaser’s ticketing account.
The allegation:
As per The Ticketing Business, AXS alleges that SecureMyPass enables brokers to “circumvent protections” and transfer systems and create fake digital concert passes that bear the AXS Group’s trademarks.
AXS’ lawsuit claims that “SMP does this by essentially spoofing the AXS Mobile ID ticket, including what looks to be a dynamic QR code, thereby creating a counterfeit ticket.”
Because these tickets are not linked to a unique ID number, they can be resold to multiple buyers.
As a result, fans have been denied entry to shows by artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Lorde and more after paying “inflated” prices on secondary platforms.
The response:
SecureMyPass told Billboard it “disputes many of the allegations in AXS’s complaint.”
It adds: “SecureMyPass helps brokers deliver tickets they already own to customers who paid for them. Any customer harm cited by AXS stems from enforcement choices made at the venue level, not from ticket validity.”
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This story was written with information from The Ticketing Business and Billboard.
We covered it because it’s news of a lawsuit involving AXS.
