(TV) Re: TV Digest V1 #838

["Mark G. Ryan" <mgryan@cruzio.com>]

Emilie,

"Emilie Hsu" <ehsu@mindspring.com> wrote:
> 
> Really, though instead of blaming people for buying through Ticketmaster
> like someone on the list did, let's blame the concert venues that distribute

Plenty of "blame" to go around.  Actually, I think it's a matter of people
taking responsibility for their actions.  Similar to: if you don't like
drug cartels, don't buy cocaine from the guy on the corner.  Unfortunately, 
America's solution to everything is criminalization and litigation, as you 
well know.

> their tickets through Ticketmaster, I really would rather pay an extra $8 to
> the musicians than to Ticketmaster.  Look likes the case that Philip cited

Amen!

> lost on standing, ouch!  I am a lawyer, though I can't really see how a
> class action to sue Ticketmaster could qualify for Pro Bono work...  but we

Why not?  Do lawyers only do good deeds that they get credit for?  ;-)
Or is it just too much work?

> can only hope that someone will get Ticketmaster -- did you guys read about
> the lawsuit against music records company under which everyone who bought a

How long would it take for pursue such a lawsuit to the final appeal?
7-10 years?  By that time, the industry will probably have changed and
the judgment will no longer matter.  (E.g., that's what happened with 
the consent decree that kept AT&T out of the computer business--by the
time the decree was issue, nobody was buying AT&T 3B2s anymore.)

And what would the legal fees be for an anti-trust suit against a company 
the size of ClearChannel?   Around $10-20 million for both sides?
In the end, the only people that would benefit would be the lawyers.

> CD from 1995 to 2000 will get some amount of money (around $10-20) from the
> settlement?  There is some website that you have to register to get the
> money: http://www.trembelog.com/classaction.htm  (I just read about this in
> the Wall Street Journal a few days ago).

So for the thousand or so CDs for which I was over-charged during this
period, I get $10-$20?  That's justice!?  Hmmm...what did the law firms get?

Aside: In any other area of human life, a process that consumes 90% of 
the value in costs (legal fees) would be held to be totally infeasible.
I.e., nobody builds a refinery that burns 90% of the product or would
tolerate a bank where 90% of your balance goes to transaction fees.
However, it is routine for legal fees and court costs to consume all of 
the amount at issue and then some.

The dead-weight-loss of the "lawyer tax" is only tolerated because the 
people who make the rules (judges and legislators) are themselves mostly 
lawyers who benefit from the system.   There are is no "board of directors" 
or "civilian review board" over the court system.  Legislators (themselves
mostly lawyers) have little control over procedure and fees.

The excuse that is always made is that if it were more efficient it would 
be less just.  But frankly, it is hard to see how prohibiting law firms 
from charging $350/hour to have a temp make photocopies would make the 
system any less just.

> 
> Columbia has something called Miller Theater (a good name for a Television
> concert, isn't it?).  Great idea, though, I wonder who book the people for
> Miller Theater at Columbia...  There is also something called Postcrypt

Looks like tickets for Miller Theater events on-line through
TicketWeb.com.  I checked and on a $35 ticket to see the Tallis Scholars, 
there was a $4.50 transaction fee.  This is better than Ticketmaster,
but still outrageous considering that the costs of selling the ticket
on-line are probably a few pennies.

Info on renting the Miller Theater is at:
	http://www.columbia.edu/cu/arts/miller/rentals

Capacity is 1372 (688 house, 479 orchestra, 205 balcony).  Glancing at
the specifications, it looks like it would be very possible for Television 
to play there.  I college venue would probably help attendance, guarantee
a notice in the college paper, and might even sell some CDs.

Somebody ought to suggest the Miller Theater to Television's management.

Mark
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