The Department of Justice (DoJ) has opposed Live Nation's request to transfer their antitrust lawsuit from New York to Washington D.C., emphasizing that the existing consent decree is not relevant to the current case.

The DoJ's opposition highlights that this case doesn't seek to "enforce, construe, or undo" the 2010 consent decree (amended in 2020). Instead, it focuses on new allegations of anticompetitive behavior across multiple sectors of the live music industry.

Key allegations in the lawsuit include:

• Maintaining unlawful monopolies in primary ticketing, concert promotion, and large amphitheaters
• Using long-term exclusive contracts to restrict competition
• Forcing artists to purchase Live Nation's promotion services to access large venues

The DoJ, along with 29 states and D.C., argues that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have become gatekeepers of America's live music industry, engaging in various anticompetitive practices including:

• Acquiring rival companies in ticketing, venues, and promotion
• Leveraging secondary ticketing markets
• Implementing non-compete agreements
• Forcing access to competitors' data

The Justice Department supports keeping the case in New York, citing the city's significance in the live music industry. New York hosts:

• Two of Ticketmaster's main competitors
• Over twenty relevant industry entities
• Multiple major amphitheaters and arenas
• Live Nation's largest office outside California
• Numerous material witnesses

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