Live Nation and Ticketmaster face a $5 billion consumer class action lawsuit following the Department of Justice's recent attempt to break up the entertainment giant. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, represents millions of ticket buyers and alleges monopolistic practices in the live events industry.

The lawsuit accuses Live Nation of:

• Forcing out competitors
• Threatening venues that work with rival ticketing services
• Engaging in anti-competitive conduct

US District Judge Arun Subramanian will oversee the case, with plaintiffs represented by attorneys from Israel David and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd. The DOJ emphasizes that while their 2010 case addressed the merger with Ticketmaster, the company has since demonstrated "more expansive forms of anti-competitive conduct."

Live Nation maintains the lawsuit is "baseless," claiming the live events market has "more competition than ever." However, their failure to adhere to previously agreed-upon guidelines following the Ticketmaster merger provides grounds for legal action.

Legal experts note that while the case raises legitimate concerns, questions remain about whether a complete breakup is legally permissible as a remedy. This consumer class action could potentially trigger additional lawsuits against the entertainment conglomerate.

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