Bruce Springsteen Tour 2012: Another Concert Ticket Controversy

It's another concert ticket controversy.

Bruce Springsteen's recently announced string of concert dates is making headlines again. The Boss declared that he would be selling seats to his upcoming tour only through non-transferable electronic tickets.

This means that any ticket that is purchased cannot be transferred from one person to another. It must be issued to the person whose name was provided at the time the ticket was bought.

Buyers of the tickets are going to need to provide identification, in order to claim the tickets, Fan Freedom Project consumer advocate, Elizabeth Owen told the LA Times.

If you are buying tickets to go with a group of friends or family, you have to wait for your whole party to arrive to enter instead of distributing the ticket in advance and meeting at your seats, Owen added.

Springsteen's announcement provoked a slew of press releases yesterday from some major players in the music industry.

On the defensive was Ticketmaster, the acting ticket representation for Springsteen. The concert ticket giant argued that non-transferable tickets are just one of the tools used to stop scalpers from consuming blocks of tickets in order to resell them at astronomical prices.

On the offensive were fan-representative groups like the Fan Freedom Project who say that paperless tickets restrict the consumer right to do what they want with the tickets they purchase.

Ticketmaster recently released another press release that warned its customers of reports that highly suspicious sources had overwhelmed the company's online ticketing service.

Early indications suggest that much of this traffic came from highly suspicious sources, implying that scalpers were using sophisticated computer programs to assault our systems and secure tickets with the sole intention of selling them in the resale market, Ticketmaster said.

This is not unfamiliar territory for Springsteen whose 2009 tour incited similar disputes.

The conclusion here is that no one comes out clean on the other side. Either way, the consumer overpays or the performer doesn't make enough money. And with so many ways to obtain tickets today, it's a broken down system in an imperfect world. Enjoy the show!

What do you think of the non-transferable electronic tickets? Are you a fan of this type of concert ticket? Share your thoughts below.