Tickets to the Grammys are dang near impossible to get and the Recording Academy is looking to keep it that way, starting with a massive number of charges against Craig Banszewski, a notorious hawker of tickets to awards shows.
This isn't Banaszewski's first rodeo, according to Billboard: He reached a settlement around ten years ago for selling false tickets to the Academy Awards and just in 2013 was charged for selling tickets to the Grammys. He's apparently up to it again during 2015 and this time the Recording Academy is looking to bury him under a heap of charges tied to his activity.
For one, it's not legally possible for everyday Joes like ourselves to get into the Grammys as only nominees and dues-paying members of the Academy receive tickets. That hasn't stopped Banaszewski and his company, VIP Concierge, from selling fakes however. This sets the basis for the Academy's most severe accusation against him, that by distributing false tickets he's also hurting the reputation of the organization, grounds for a major lawsuit by itself.
They're suing for more than just damages of course. Some of the other charges involved include the replication of the gramophone logo and the phrase "Music's Biggest Night," as the Academy holds trademarks on both. Odds are that buyers realize they aren't technically allowed to attend the event but by anyway. It's tough to pin that on buyers however, so Banaszewski is facing charges of inducing trespass.
Just in case the defendant tries to question any of these charges, the Academy can point to obvious text on legitimate tickets that warn against illegal activity.
No word has been given yet on how much the defendant will be looking at in terms of fines but considering the number of charges, as well as his recent history of bad behavior, we can't imagine it'll be low. The Recording Academy doesn't want to hear from him next year.
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