Musicians join online rights fray

First it was Hollywood writers on strike over internet rights and revenues. Now some of the biggest names in British music are demanding a slice of online profits - calling for a levy to be added to tickets resold on the web. Some 400 artists, such as Radiohead (pictured), Robbie Williams, Arctic Monkeys and KT Tunstall, are backing the creation of a Resale Rights Society. They hope to claw back profits made by touts and fans who resell tickets on the plethora of websites that have sprung up to satisfy the demand to trade concert tickets.
 
With the increased demand for tickets, resale values have soared, fuelling a sizeable secondary market. According to one analyst the 'resell' market is already worth around £200m a year in the UK. In October, £2m was spent on tickets for the Spice Girls reunion tour.  Led Zeppelin's one-off reunion next week is also in huge demand with tickets that were originally sold for £125 through a lottery draw now on offer for up to £1,000. Other bands that have generated extra revenue for entrepreneurial ticket traders include Take That (£1,4m), Foo Fighters (£420,00) and Celine Dion (£325,000).
 
Ticket websites have criticised the proposal, insisting they provide a legitimate service that merely reflects the market value of tickets. They say the proposed levy amounts to a tax on consumers. ·