The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee have published a report declaring that artists and promoters should get a slice of the profits created by thge secondary ticket market, or "online touts", as the rest of us call them.

In the briefest of summaries, the report condemned the current climate of online touting, stating that sites such as eBay and Viagogo were exploiting real fans who missed out on tickets from legit sources. However, rather than propose a ban on re-sales or any other serious measure, the committee instead proposed a voluntary code of conduct for online re-sellers.

As well as this, they critcised promoters for feeding the market, with tickets almost always being non-refundable. After all, if you can't make it to a gig for whatever reason, and you don't have the option of returning your ticket, you're gonna turn to eBay to try to recoup at least some of your cash back.

the industry as a whole remains split on the issue, with uber-promoter, Harvey Goldsmith, and Glastonbury 'organiser', Michael Eavis, being two of the most high-profile opponents of secondary ticket sales.

Music Towers once sold a spare ticket to a [spunge] gig to some kid outside the LA2 for £10. We found it abandoned on a table at the McDonald's over the road. Oh, the shame!