According to the New York Times, Ticketmaster chairman Terry Barnes and CEO Sean Moriarty sent a memo to employees announcing, �Live Nation has been a valued client for a very long time and we believe we�ve taken every reasonable step possible to facilitate a renewal, but they seem intent on a direction for their business that leaves us no viable way to work together.�

The two parties have been negotiating a renewal of their agreement that expires at the end of next year. A sticking point was reportedly how the two sides would split the excessive monopoly customer rape charges a.k.a. service and convenience charges.

Live Nation accounts for 15% of Ticketmaster's business and will now have to use an alternate ticket service for their venues across the nation. Which may in the end be a good thing for customers with a little competition that has been lacking in that business sector as "service" fees have become a bigger chunk of ticket prices.