Live Nation may have settled its antitrust battle with the US Department of Justice, but the trial has continued with a coalition of 32 states continuing to sue the company and \u2013 potentially \u2013 press for a breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar \u2013 a longtime campaigner for ticketing reform \u2013 is giving the company another headache. Dismayed at last week\u2019s settlement, she has\u00a0introduced legislation to try to avoid similar moves in the future<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Antitrust Accountability and Transparency Act would \u201cstrengthen review of antitrust settlements and ensure they protect consumers, workers and small businesses\u201d \u2013 rather than \u201cspecial interests\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the recent settlement between the Department of Justice and Live Nation, it is clear the American people got the raw end of the deal,\u201d said Klobuchar in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis bill, which has support from antitrust enforcers from both sides of the aisle, ensures that courts have the tools to independently review settlements and approve only those that benefit the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The senatorial criticism of Live Nation doesn\u2019t stop there. One of the co-sponsors of Klobuchar\u2019s bill, Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal, has released a report taking aim at \u201cHow Ticketmaster\u2019s Monopoly Supercharges Prices and Fees<\/a>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n The report, from the US Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), is the result of a long-term investigation of Ticketmaster\u2019s business. Blumenthal said his decision to release the report was a direct response to the DoJ settlement.<\/p>\n