EFF vs. TM

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has spent 20 years protecting digital rights for consumers, has a bone to pick with the government and Ticketmaster.

The principals of Wiseguys Tickets have been indicted for reselling tickets they purchased, through automated means, at Ticketmaster.com.

The four defendants were found guilty of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act because they did not follow TM’s terms of service agreement.

The EFF filed an amicus brief July 2.

“Under the government’s theory, anyone who disregards – or doesn’t read – the terms of service on any website could face computer crime charges,” EFF Civil Liberties Director Jennifer Granick said. “That gives Ticketmaster and other online services extraordinary power over their users: the power to decide what is criminal behavior and what is not.”