SCALPING - Attempt to take the maximum financial benefit of the scarcity of an item (such as tickets to a sellout concert, major sporting event, or live show) by hoarding it. For too many years now, fans of musicians, live theater, and major sporting events have waited patiently in long lines, or fought endless telephone busy signals to try and get the premium tickets to their favorite events. With the announcement two weeks ago that Neil Diamond would be going on tour in The United States and Canada starting in February or 2012, fans began preparing in anticipation to get their tickets in a fair and orderly manner. Those tickets went on pre-sale the week of Thanksgiving. Then on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 10 a.m. EST, the remaining tickets went on sale to the general public nationwide. What transpired though was anything but fair. In the early weeks, scalpers swooped in and purchased all the premium tickets that fans so desperately wanted, and waited fairly to purchase. When the general sale started there were no premium seats available and fans were left in seats where binaculars would be neccesary to see Neil Diamond on the stage. But, it is not just Neil Diamond fans that face this unfair treatment. Other musician's fans, or fans of live shows and major sporting events also receive this unfair and unethical treatment when their favorite event comes to their home towns. And, it must not be tolerated anymore. This petition is being commissioned to make it a felony in the United States for ticket brokers to purchase premium tickets to concerts, live theater, and major sporting events, and then sell them at higher rates than the original face value printed on those tickets. If it is illegal to download music without paying for it, upload copyrighted movies, music videos, and TV shows to YouTube.com, or video record concerts or motion pictures from our seats in venues worldwide, where large fines are sanctioned on the individuals participating in this type of activity, then making it illegal for ticket brokers to "scalp" tickets should also become the law! If you are a fan who is fed up with the unfair practice of scalping in The United States, then I ask you to sign this petition so that scalping will end. We deserve a fair opportunity to purchase great seats to our favorite events. And, this petition aims to make these opportunities will become reality. If you agree with this petition, then you are encouraged to sign it. Once it reaches enough signatures, it will be presented to the legislature to be enacted into law. Thank you for your support.