TORONTO - One of the lawyers behind the class-action lawsuit being filed against Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. says hundreds of people have called asking for information.

Jay Strosberg of Sutts, Strosberg LLP, one of the two firms behind the Ontario lawsuit, says his office has received more than 500 inquiries already, and the phone won't stop ringing.

The suit claims Ticketmaster has broken the province's anti-scalping laws by directing consumers to TicketsNow, a resale site owned by Ticketmaster where tickets are generally far more expensive that the original price.

The defendants "wrongfully, unlawfully (and) maliciously conspired" to sell tickets at a higher price, states the lawsuit, which seeks $500 million in damages for the conspiracy and $10 million for punitive damages.

Ticketmaster chairman Barry Diller says the lawsuit is "without merit."

But Strosberg says he doesn't care what Diller thinks, and it will be up to the courts to decide.

"The nice thing about the law is that it's not going to be up to him," Strosberg said Tuesday. "The court will ultimately determine if the action has merit.

"We don't start actions if we do not believe they have merit."

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The next steps will involve assembling materials to deliver a statement of claim within 30 days and seeking court certification of their class-action bid, Strosberg said.

The planned merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation Inc. doesn't affect the potential lawsuit but does illustrate the necessity of the court action, he added.

"It just means Ticketmaster's reach is broadening and they're going to be gaining control of a larger number of tickets," he said.

"So it just means the serious questions raised in this action must be answered."

The suit was filed on behalf of Henryk Krajewski of Toronto, who in September 2008 purchased two tickets for a Smashing Pumpkins show at Massey Hall from TicketsNow for $533.65, the court documents state.

The tickets would have cost about $130 if they had been available from Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster purchased TicketsNow last year for US$265 million, and takes a slice of every ticket resold through TicketsNow in addition to the original service charges it levies when tickets are first sold.

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