‘Taylor Swift law’ introduced to criminalise ticket scalping in Brazil

A new ‘Taylor Swift law’ has been introduced to address ticket scalping in Brazil after the singer announced international dates for her ‘Eras’ tour earlier this week.

• READ MORE: Taylor Swift live in New Jersey: a glittering celebration of every era

The pop sensation took to social media this week to share a list of new dates added to the previously announced international shows in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.

On Thursday (June 22), the singer then added a sixth show in Rio de Janeiro, but a Brazilian lawmaker has now taken steps to address scalpers which could result in four years in prison.

Simone Marquetto, a member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies representing São Paulo – where swift is due to play three shows – introduced the bill last week, with scalpers also facing penalties of up to 100 times the original ticket price. That means fines could reach BRL 600,000 (£98,600).

“I have an 11-year-old at home, and this is all they’re talking about at school. I received many requests to do something and decided to present this bill,” she told the Brazilian newspaper Estadão (via NBC).

Marquetto then shared in a social media post Tuesday (June 20) that she had obtained the signatures necessary to expedite the bill, which she planned to present alongside the national secretary for consumer protection.

Brazilian publication Globo reported that in-person scalpers became violent when attempted to buy tickets for resale, with at least 10 scalpers being detained after attempting to secure tickets at the box office.

“The exploitation of the Brazilian population by so-called ‘scalpers’ at any paid events expected to see a big public influx is public and notorious,” a translation of the bill reads, according to Brazilian Report.

“These tickets touts’ activity deprives the less fortunate, preventing them from attending the desired show, and constitutes a true crime against the public economy,” she continued.

“There are many examples showing that the concerns expressed above are justified. The most recent is the case of the sale of concert tickets of an international singer,” she continued. “Fans claim that dealers purchased a large number of tickets, making it impossible for other consumers [to do so].”

Sabrina Carpenter has been announced as the opening act for the Latin American leg of Swift’s tour, with other openers yet to be revealed.

In a five-star review review of the ‘Eras’ tour in New Jersey, NME said the show was a “glittering celebration of every era”, adding that the “gargantuan” tour “shines a light on Swift’s ability to take a hit, make a hit, and not slow down”.