MPs recommend ban on ticket buying bots
MPs have recommended an amendment to the in-progress Digital Economy Bill banning the use of 'bots' to buy up large amounts of tickets on primary ticketing sites in order to sell them on the secondary market.

This and other concerns about the ticketing market are raised in a new letter from the Chair of the Culture, Media And Sport Select Committee, Damian Collins MP, to Culture Secretary Karen Bradley. It follows that recent evidence gathering hearing in Parliament into the use of bots, which MPs said highlighted "much more far-ranging and disturbing factors in the market".

In a statement, Collins says: "The answers we got from witnesses representing the ticket sellers and resellers went from complacent to evasive, and their failure to provide the most basic assurances about what they're doing to tackle known large scale touts and fraudsters operating on their own sites - we had an example on screen in front of a Member in the session - have led us to believe there may be much bigger problems in this market than we originally thought".

He continues: "We are writing to the Secretary of State to ask her to begin to look more closely at this issue but also as a first step that there seems to be a lot of consensus on amending the Digital Economy Bill to ban the technology that harvests tickets on a large scale before genuine fans ever get a look in".

"The Competition And Markets Authority is due to report on whether ticket companies are complying with consumer law, and given their performance at our evidence session we await this with interest", he notes. "In the meantime, we heard strong evidence indicating there is a significant level of under-reporting of income by known touts trading on secondary sites and we believe this is another aspect of this that warrants investigation, by HMRC".

Nigel Adams MP had already proposed a bot-ban be added to the DEB, though withdrew that amendment after the government said it wanted to see if such technology already breaks the Computer Misuse Act. But Collins' letter shows that, either way, there is now support for a specific bot-ban in the new legislation. Read Collins' full letter here.

Rapper Jonathan Emile wins 'moral rights' case over Kendrick Lamar takedown
Canadian rapper Jonathan Emile recently won an interesting case against US management company Top Dawg Entertainment in a Canadian small claims court, it has emerged. The court ruled that a false takedown notice issued against a track he recorded with Kendrick Lamar infringed his moral rights.

Lamar appeared on Emile's 2015 track 'Heaven Help Dem', written in tribute to Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin and others who have been killed by police in the US. The collaboration was apparently set up through Top Dawg, but the relationship went cold after the track was completed.

"We paid Kendrick Lamar for a feature, and once we paid them, they basically stopped communicating with us altogether", Emile tells Billboard. "It was understood that we'd take care of the paperwork with the lawyers, so we paid them and they basically disappeared... we couldn't get in contact, so I just continued producing my album and with the verbal agreement we had, and we put out the song in 2015".

Emile eventually managed to get the track back up on YouTube, SoundCloud and other services despite Top Dawg's takedown notices, after proving the management firm did not have a valid copyright claim. However, by this time, he says, "the damage had already been done and the momentum to promote the song had already been [lost]".

He continues: "On the advice of my lawyers, we took them to small claims - to make a statement more than anything - and to show that what was done was not right and to clear my name, in terms of a lot of folks really did think that the verse was stolen and it's not legitimate. We did what we had to do to get the judgment".

Although the judgement was made a month ago, it has since gained attention among some legal types, due to the unusual nature of the case. While Emile won a small amount of money in damages from Top Dawg and co-defendants Universal/Interscope, the point of the case was to assert that the management company had been in the wrong to attempt to takedown the track in question.

Whereas in the US the Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides specific protection against the misuse of the safe harbour takedown process that operates online, it will be interesting to see if any others at the receiving end of an erroneous takedown in Canada now follow a similar moral rights route to Emile.

Read the full judgement here, and listen to 'Heaven Help Dem' here.

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A Day To Remember awarded $4 million in legal battle with Victory Records
A Day To Remember have won their long-running legal battle against former label Victory Records. A jury ruled that the metalcore band had fulfilled their contractual obligations to the label, and that Victory should hand over $4 million in unpaid royalties.

As previously reported, the band went legal in 2011, accusing the record company of withholding royalties. The label countered that the band had failed to record the five albums required by their contract, and accused them of attempting to get out of their deal early in order to sign with a major label.

As well as a dispute over quite how many albums the band had recorded (was it five or was it three?), Victory also claimed that the band had breached their contract by selling merch and music through their own website, rather than through the label's official channels. This, the company said, legally justified the withholding of royalties.

However, at the end of a two week trial this week, a jury did not agree. Two disputed live recordings released on iTunes were deemed to count as albums under their contract, and the label was ordered to hand over $4 million in royalties from download and merch sales.

In a statement, the band said: "More than five years ago we filed a lawsuit against Victory Records seeking freedom and resolution on several issues we had with them. For the past two weeks we have been in court arguing our case. Yesterday, the jury came back with a unanimous verdict in the trial granting us that freedom and resolution ... This isn't just a victory for us but also a victory for every band wronged over the years. Right doesn't always win, but yesterday it did".

Victory Records has not commented on the ruling as yet.

A Day To Remember's latest album, 'Bad Vibrations', was self-released in September.

T In The Park will not take place in 2017
DF Concerts has confirmed that the T In The Park festival will be take next year off, following rumours that the promoter is working on an alternative event in Glasgow to take place around the usual T weekend next summer

In a statement, organisers said: "For over 23 years, T In The Park has been at the heart of Scotland's music scene - with you, by our side. But for now, sadly, we need to take a break".

There have been numerous issues for the event in recent years, mainly as a result of being forced to move from its old site at Balado in Kinross to Strathallan Castle in 2015. Those issues contributed to a 42% drop in profits for DF last year.

In its statement, the promoter goes on: "Against our will, and despite a prolonged fight, we were forced to move from Balado, Kinross in 2015. This move was a mammoth task for the event and one that was compounded by a series of onerous site restrictions placed upon us as preparations for the event in 2015 took place".

"We now need to take stock and take a year out to try to resolve the issues so that we can once again deliver the kind of camping festival you are used to and deserve", it concluded.

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Manchester venue Band On The Wall launches membership scheme
In an interesting move, Manchester live music venue Band On The Wall has launched a range of new membership packages, offering various perks not available to the general ticket-buying public.

The aim of the new membership scheme is to raise £500,000 to fund new expansion plans, which will provide more education space and an increased venue capacity. The charity behind the venue has already raised £2 million in grants from Arts Council England and Manchester City Council.

A single year membership will cost £30, giving the holder a 20% discount on tickets for most shows at the venue, three complimentary pairs of tickets, plus invitations to VIP events throughout the year. There are also five and ten year memberships available, plus there are two lifetime packages too. The top level, costing £5000, gives free lifetime access to the the venue for the holder and a guest.

More information on the scheme here.

Chance The Rapper working on (actual) debut album
Chance The Rapper is preparing to put out his debut album. But he already put out his debut album, you might be thinking to yourself. Just shows what you know.

"I'll probably put out an album, that's what I've been thinking about", he said in an interview on BBC Radio 1Xtra. "I don't know exactly the format every time when I'm making something, but a lot of times I have an idea, and I think what I'm working on right now is an album".

What about all those other albums though, you're probably still thinking. Which is why he continued: "My mixtapes have been confused for albums for a long time so it has to be something different".

Yes, sometimes mixtapes are a bit too much like albums, so you have to make your albums less like albums. I think that's a lesson we all need to learn.

Earlier this week, the rapper also cancelled three dates on his European tour - two in Dublin, the second of which was due to take place tonight, and one in Manchester, which was scheduled for Saturday.

Here's the full 1Xtra interview.

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Yeah, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's son is still going to burn all his punk memorabilia
Son of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood - Joe Corré - will make good on his promise to burn his collection of punk memorabilia tomorrow. Because he is a bellend.

As previously reported, the multi-millionaire Agent Provocateur co-founder announced plans to burn all the punk-related stuff he had knocking around in protest at how the 40th anniversary of the punk movement had been co-opted by the establishment. Yeah, you tell em, Joe.

At a press conference yesterday, Corré confirmed that the bonfire would take place on Saturday, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the release of the Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy In The UK'. Nothing holds up your anti-establishment credentials like organising a press conference.

"I've been wondering for a long time what to do with it all and I think this is the right opportunity to say 'you know what, punk is dead; stop conning a younger generation that it somehow has any currency to deal with the issues that they face'", he said, according to Reuters. "It [does] not. It's dead and it's time to think about something else".

I'm not sure The Kids give a shit about the official celebrations of the anniversary of punk, let alone Corré's protest. But if it makes a wealthy man feel better to destroy a load of his stuff, then I guess he's within his rights to do that.

Countering arguments that he should just sell the memorabilia and give the money to charity, he said: "Who is actually going to buy it? ... It would end up going on some banker's wall. That's who'd buy it and that wouldn't satisfy me very much. I think the die-hard fans are confused and they don't interest me at all. Why would I give it to them? They are just conformists in another uniform".

Also, he noted, charities are just agents of the establishment. I'll tell you something, The Man is going to have real trouble sleeping tonight.

Artist & Manager Awards presented
The Music Managers Forum and Featured Artists Coalition hosted the latest edition of their Artist & Manager Awards last night, celebrating the artists most rated by artists, and the people who manage their careers.

In the categories contested on the night, Years And Years took to the stage to receive the Breakthrough Artist Award, while the equivalent prize on the management side went to Stormzy manager Tobe Onwuka. Sponsor Dice also presented its own Live Award for 2016, handing a big FA Cup style trophy to Loyle Carner.

Other winners we already knew about, including Manager Of The Year Jonathan Dickins, most famous for guiding the career of Adele of course, while Zita McHugh won the prize for Writer/Producer Manager Of The Year, using the occasion to call for a better deal for the record producer in the ever-evolving recorded music business.

Bob Harris, meanwhile, presented the Artists Artist Award to the magnificent Joan Armatrading, while those there The 1975 boys were named Artists Of The Year.

In the midst of all that, MMF President Jon Webster took some time out to pay tribute to the long list of artists who we have lost in the last year - which is all the more depressing when presented in one long list - while also remembering those artist managers who have died in 2016.

That list, of course, included one of the true greats, the late David Enthoven - who, as his business partner Tim Clark said back in August, on top of everything else, gave "unstinting help to those [in music] who had taken a self-destructive path, for whatever reason - just as he himself had done all those years ago". Which made him a manager who not only saved artists' careers, but also some lives, all of which made him a popular posthumous winner of the AMA's Industry Champion Award.

Finally, the life-time achievement Peter Grant Award went to veteran manager Peter Rudge who - with a 45 year career packed full of top name artists, many of whom bigged up the man himself in the pre-award clips package - subsequently delivered an epic speech which is possibly still ongoing as we speak. Oh, except I definitely saw Rudge clients James and Imelda May subsequently take to the stage to perform a finale. And why not I say, why not?

PPL, Nas, Wiley, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Musician Roxanne de Bastion and manager David Stopps have been elected to the PPL's performer board.

• "Life's a bitch and then you die", said Nas. He mentioned nothing about selling Christmas jumpers, and yet here is his new range of festive sweatshirts.

• Wiley has another new track out. This one, titled 'U Were Always Part 2', features Skepta and Belly.

• OK Go have a new video out that you've probably already seen. This behind-the-scenes interview is worth reading too though.

• Russian Circles have announced UK tour dates for next March, finishing up at Heaven in London on 26 Mar.

CMU Beef Of The Week #333: Justin Bieber v True 'Affectionate Fan Wants To Touch His Idol' Style
This week, Justin Bieber punched a fan in the face. Which isn't a very nice thing to do. It's especially disappointing given that Justin Bieber is supposed to be the world's nicest man now. I know we all have our moments, but you wouldn't think that being the world's nicest man would be something you'd forget, even for a split second. It's almost as if Bieber's 'world's nicest man' status is something I made it up as the result of a bizarre cycle of one-upping myself and he has no idea about it.

Anyway, the singer was being driven to a show in Barcelona, when a fan reached into the open window of the popstar's vehicle, and Bieber responded with a sharp punch to the guy's face, leaving both the fan and his friends unsure how to react. Let's stop and have a watch of the video now.

The fan, Kevin Ramirez, was left with a bloody lip and a weird mix of apparent pride and anger. And has now suggested that he will sue the popstar over the incident.

"This matter is now in the hands of lawyers. They will deal with it", he said in an interview on Spanish radio. "I can't give out any more information at the moment".

Although he did give out a blow-by-blow account of the incident.

"I didn't think for one moment Justin was going to punch me", he said. "He had been in the airport the day before talking with fans and I assumed he was happy to get close to us".

Yeah, fair enough. If Bieber's going to drive around near a venue with his face just there for all to see, you kind of have to assume he's open to a cheery "hello" and maybe even a handshake.

"When I saw him I took the opportunity to put my hand through his car window and touch his shoulder and face in true 'affectionate fan wants to touch his idol' style", Ramirez continued. "His car had stopped before he went by and..."

Woah, woah, woah. You took "the opportunity to touch his shoulder and face"? I don't know how they do things in Barcelona, Sonny Jim, but where I come from you don't reach into cars to touch people's shoulders and faces without asking first. That's just common courtesy. As I'm sure Bieber would have told you if he hadn't been quite so busy punching you in the face.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a violent person, and I certainly don't condone punching anyone in the face. However, if someone reached into a car and tried to touch me, I think I'd probably have a kneejerk reaction of the negative kind. And I'm not Justin Bieber. I'm not the nicest man in the world. I've come to accept that now.

And since when is "'affectionate fan wants to touch his idol' style" a defence? Oh sure Officer, I did push Brian May's entire nose into my mouth, but it was simply done in an 'affectionate fan wants to touch his idol' style.

Alright, Brian May isn't really my idol, but I think the point stands. Don't go around touching people without asking. Stick to the time honoured tradition of holding out your hand and hoping that your musician of choice slaps it and whoops. It's stood the test of time perfectly well. And ignoring these rules is exactly how things like that Danny Brown blow job situation arose.

Oh, sorry Kevin, you were saying? "His car had stopped before he went by and he had seen us. He knew there were no barriers and he knew we were going to go up to him. He could have brushed my hand away, anything apart from such an aggressive punch. I was left in a state of total shock. I couldn't believe what he did. I liked Justin but I come first. He doesn't appear to like his fans now".

Kevin Ramirez seems like a right entitled arsehole, doesn't he? Alright, alright, alright, that's a totally unfair accusation to throw at an ordinary teenage boy, who has come into the public eye totally unexpectedly. Especially when the interview I'm quoting has been translated from another language. Perhaps the whole explanation makes perfect sense in its original Spanish.

I should really should take a leaf out of the book of Nice Guy Bieber. Except, of course, he's apparently punching people in the face now, so I don't know what to think.