> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hypebot.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # President Obama Signs “Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016” - URL: https://www.hypebot.com/president-obama-signs-better-online-ticket-sales-bots-act-of-2016/ - Published: 2016-12-16T13:51:19.000Z - Updated: 2016-12-16T13:51:19.000Z - Description: In a rare example of bipartisanship, the U.S. Congress has passed and President Obama has signed a bill that outlaws all ticket bots. Bots are computer programs that enable ticket brokers. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2016/12/president-obama-signs-better-online-ticket-sales-bot - Author: Bruce Houghton - Tags: Live & Ticketing, Music Business, Barack Obama, CBS This Morning, Democratic National Committee, Donald Trump, Presidency of Barack Obama, Republican National Committee, The New York Times, The Washington Post, United States Congress, White House, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:13 [![image from www.celebrityaccess.com](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201bb095eb986970d-150wi "image from www.celebrityaccess.com")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201bb095eb986970d-popup?ref=hypebot.com) In a rare example of **bipartisanship**, the U.S. Congress has passed and **President Obama has signed a bill that outlaws all ticket bots.** Bots are computer programs that enable ticket brokers to bulk purchase concert and event tickets, **raising average ticket costs** for millions of fans. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [![image from i4.mirror.co.uk](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b7c8bbc32e970b-300wi "image from i4.mirror.co.uk")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b7c8bbc32e970b-popup?ref=hypebot.com) Today, President the "Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016" which makes it illegal to use software to purchase tickets to concerts and other events. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday, with bipartisan support, matching their colleagues in the Senate who passed the same measure the week before. **"unfair and deceptive"** The BOTS Act of 2016 defines the use of automated ticket purchasing software as an "unfair and deceptive practice" under the Federal Trade Commission Act and allows the FTC to pursue those cases. The bill alsos prohibit the sale of or offers to sell an event ticket in interstate commerce obtained through the circumvention of systems designed to limit purchases.However, not everyone in the music industry is sanguine that the legislation will have the desired effect.“There is only one way to stop the scalping industry, and that’s to make it illegal,” concert promoter Seth Hurwitz told the New York Times. “Anything else is just Whac-a-Mole, and grandstanding by politicians.”Portions of this story [Celebrity Access](http://www.celebrityaccess.com/?ref=hypebot.com) Related articles [![](http://i.zemanta.com/354508496_80_80.jpg)](https://www.hypebot.com/antitrust-lawfare-breaking-out-by-google-and-spotify-against-appleusing-your-music-draft/)[Antitrust Lawfare Breaks Out: Google, Spotify vs. Apple](https://www.hypebot.com/antitrust-lawfare-breaking-out-by-google-and-spotify-against-appleusing-your-music-draft/) [![](http://i.zemanta.com/352966480_80_80.jpg)](https://www.hypebot.com/music-publishing-news-roundup-friday-july-17th-2015/)[Music Publishing News Roundup 7.17.2015: YouTube Music Key – Apple Inquiry – PRS Controversy](https://www.hypebot.com/music-publishing-news-roundup-friday-july-17th-2015/) [![](http://i.zemanta.com/375160958_80_80.jpg)](http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/truth-bomb-by-wendy-day.html?ref=hypebot.com)[Truth Bomb. 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