说到美国这几天最让普通人开心的新闻，可能就是Ticketmaster被判垄断了。Speaking of the news that made ordinary Americans happiest these past few days, it's probably Ticketmaster being ruled a monopoly.
如果你在美国买过演唱会门票。If you've ever bought concert tickets in America.
你一定用过Ticketmaster。You've definitely used Ticketmaster.
因为你几乎没有别的选择。Because you had almost no other choice.
这就是问题所在。That's the problem.
曼哈顿联邦法院的一个陪审团做出了判决。A jury at the Manhattan federal court reached a verdict.
Live Nation和旗下的Ticketmaster违反了反垄断法。Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster violated antitrust law.
它们在演唱会门票市场上构成了非法垄断。They constituted an illegal monopoly in the concert ticket market.
而且它们多收了消费者的钱。And they overcharged consumers.
这个案子有三十三个州加上华盛顿特区联合起诉。This case was brought by 33 states plus Washington DC together.
一共审了五个星期。The trial lasted five weeks total.
陪审团商量了四天。The jury deliberated for four days.
最后在每一个关键的法律问题上都判了原告胜诉。In the end they ruled for the plaintiffs on every key legal question.
这是一个全面的败诉。This was a total defeat.
对Live Nation来说几乎是灾难性的。Almost catastrophic for Live Nation.
我们先说一下为什么这个案子这么重要。Let's first talk about why this case is so important.
Live Nation是什么公司？What kind of company is Live Nation?
它是全世界最大的现场娱乐公司。It's the biggest live entertainment company in the world.
它做三件事。It does three things.
第一它办演唱会。First, it organizes concerts.
是全世界最大的演唱会推广商。It's the world's largest concert promoter.
第二它管理场地。Second, it manages venues.
美国最好的露天剧场很多都是它的。Many of America's best amphitheaters belong to it.
第三它卖票。Third, it sells tickets.
Ticketmaster控制了美国大概百分之八十的一级票务市场。Ticketmaster controls about 80% of America's primary ticketing market.
一级市场就是第一次卖票。The primary market means selling tickets for the first time.
这个数字意味着什么？What does this number mean?
意味着如果你是一个歌手。It means if you're a singer.
你想在大场地办演唱会。You want to hold a concert at a big venue.
你几乎必须跟Live Nation合作。You almost have to work with Live Nation.
因为好场地是它的。Because the good venues are theirs.
你用它的场地就必须用Ticketmaster卖票。If you use their venue you must use Ticketmaster to sell tickets.
因为场地被绑定了。Because the venue is tied to it.
如果你是一个买票的人。If you're a ticket buyer.
你想看这个歌手。You want to see this singer.
你只能去Ticketmaster。You can only go to Ticketmaster.
因为票只在那里卖。Because tickets are only sold there.
这就是所谓的"纵向垄断"。This is called "vertical monopoly."
从上到下全控制了。Control from top to bottom.
推广是我的。The promotion is mine.
卖票也是我的。The ticket selling is also mine.
你在这个链条上的每一个环节都要经过我。Every link in this chain goes through me.
Ticketmaster最被大家恨的是什么？What do people hate most about Ticketmaster?
你可能看到一张票标价一百美元。You might see a ticket priced at one hundred dollars.
但是等你付钱的时候发现。But when you go to pay you discover.
加上服务费一共是一百三十。With service fees it's actually one hundred thirty.
甚至一百五十。Even one hundred fifty.
那多出来的三十到五十块是什么？What's that extra thirty to fifty dollars?
是"方便费""处理费""设施费"。It's "convenience fee" "processing fee" "facility fee."
名目各种各样。All sorts of different names.
但本质都是一样的。But the essence is the same.
就是Ticketmaster额外收你的钱。It's extra money Ticketmaster charges you.
这些钱合理吗？Are these charges reasonable?
陪审团说不合理。The jury said no.
他们计算出来每张票平均被多收了一块七毛二美元。They calculated that each ticket was overcharged by an average of one dollar and seventy-two cents.
一块七听起来不多。One seventy-two doesn't sound like much.
但是美国每年通过Ticketmaster卖出几亿张票。But America sells hundreds of millions of tickets through Ticketmaster every year.
乘以一块七。Times one seventy-two.
那就是一笔天文数字。That's an astronomical figure.
这个案子的导火索是什么？What triggered this case?
是Taylor Swift。Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift的Eras Tour开始预售。Taylor Swift's Eras Tour started presales.
Ticketmaster的系统崩了。Ticketmaster's system crashed.
几百万人同时涌入。Millions of people flooded in at once.
排了好几个小时。Waited for hours.
很多人最后还是买不到票。Many people still couldn't buy tickets in the end.
社交媒体上一片愤怒。Social media was full of anger.
美国参议院甚至为此开了听证会。The US Senate even held a hearing about it.
那是Ticketmaster公关史上最黑暗的一天。That was the darkest day in Ticketmaster's PR history.
也是这个反垄断案的起点。And the starting point of this antitrust case.
美国司法部和三十多个州联合起诉Live Nation。The US Department of Justice and over thirty states filed a joint lawsuit against Live Nation.
起诉理由是违反了《谢尔曼反垄断法》。The charge was violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.
这个法律是一八九零年就有的。This law has existed since 1890.
是美国最古老的反垄断法。It's America's oldest antitrust law.
它说一个公司不可以用不正当手段控制市场。It says a company cannot use unfair means to control a market.
案子在今年三月开始审。The case started trial in March this year.
审了五个星期。Lasted five weeks.
有一个有趣的转折。There was an interesting twist.
审到第一个星期的时候。During the first week of trial.
司法部和几个州跟Live Nation达成了一个单独的和解。The DOJ and some states reached a separate settlement with Live Nation.
Live Nation同意赔两亿八千万美元。Live Nation agreed to pay 280 million dollars.
同意在某些场地限制服务费。Agreed to limit service fees at certain venues.
同意让场地在选择票务平台方面有更多自由。Agreed to give venues more freedom in choosing ticketing platforms.
但是剩下的三十三个州没有接受和解。But the remaining 33 states didn't accept the settlement.
他们说这不够。They said it wasn't enough.
他们要的是陪审团判决。What they wanted was a jury verdict.
他们要的是法律上的确认：你是垄断。What they wanted was legal confirmation: you are a monopoly.
四月十五号他们得到了这个确认。On April 15th they got that confirmation.
陪审团在每一个关键问题上都投了"是"。The jury voted "yes" on every key question.
是的Live Nation垄断了一级票务市场。Yes, Live Nation monopolized the primary ticketing market.
是的它垄断了大型露天剧场市场。Yes, it monopolized the large amphitheater market.
是的它把场地使用和票务服务非法捆绑。Yes, it illegally bundled venue use with ticketing services.
全面胜诉。Complete victory for the plaintiffs.
纽约州检察长Letitia James说。New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
"Live Nation和Ticketmaster违了法。"Live Nation and Ticketmaster broke the law."
让消费者损失了几百万美元。"Costing consumers millions of dollars."
现在最关键的问题是接下来会发生什么。Now the most critical question is what happens next.
法官Arun Subramanian要决定补救措施。Judge Arun Subramanian must decide on remedies.
最大的可能性是什么？What's the most likely outcome?
就是强制Live Nation把Ticketmaster卖掉。Meaning forcing Live Nation to sell off Ticketmaster.
让卖票的公司和办演唱会的公司不是同一个人。Making the ticket seller and the concert organizer not the same entity.
这是很多批评者呼吁了多年的事情。This is what many critics have called for over the years.
如果真的拆了。If it really gets broken up.
其他的票务公司就有机会竞争。Other ticketing companies would have a chance to compete.
有竞争就有可能降价。With competition, prices could drop.
服务费就有可能降下来。Service fees could come down.
Live Nation说他们要上诉。Live Nation says they will appeal.
他们说判决还没有最终确定。They say the verdict isn't final yet.
他们不承认自己是垄断。They don't admit they're a monopoly.
但是不管上诉结果如何。But regardless of the appeal outcome.
这个判决已经发出了一个很清楚的信号。This verdict has sent a very clear signal.
你控制百分之八十的市场。You control eighty percent of the market.
你把场地和票务绑在一起。You bundle venues with ticketing.
你多收消费者的钱。You overcharge consumers.
法律不允许。The law doesn't allow it.
对所有买过票的人来说。For everyone who has ever bought a ticket.
这一天等了很久了。They've been waiting a long time for this day.
