Aim at deceptive domain names — States take

Fresh laws target the domain names and subdomains of ticket sellers.

U.S. states are targeting ticket resellers that use domains or subdomains with the names of artists or venues in them.

Fresh legislation in Michigan targets this practice, which may be designed to deceive consumers into buying tickets through a reseller without understanding that it’s not the official website for the event.

Under the legislation, a person couldn’t use a domain or subdomain that includes the name of an entertainment venue, the name of an event, or the name of an artist when selling tickets. I

It does not appear to restrict using the name as a file name following the top level domain. This makes sense since that part of a URL typically matches the content of the page.

The bill also seeks to prevent ticket sellers from displaying prices without mandatory fees included.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has a fresh junk fee rule that by now forbids tacking on fees, but the state states adding this to its consumer protection law will allow it to enforce the rule itself.

While this act is specific to events, it’s conceivable that this approach may also be applied to hotels in the future. Searching for just regarding any hotel room brings up travel sellers who use the hotel name as a subdomain:

Michigan’s law is modeled on a similar one that has by now been passed in Colorado.