Legal Environment of Business:
Imagine you are the promoter for a Michael Jackson concert at the time of his death. The Final Tour is announced, tickets go on sale, the shows immediately sell out, and then Michael Jackson dies quite suddenly two weeks before the tour is to begin.
Discuss the legal and ethical considerations for what to do about refunding the tickets. That is, even if the agreement that ticketholders (generally unknowingly) entered into said their money would not be refunded in such an event, discuss the ethics of the situation. Who are the people who have a stake in this very sad situation and might be harmed or helped by this decision? Think of as many as you can. What are the issues involved? What do you as the promoter stand to lose with each scenario? What do you stand to gain? Where do law and ethics interface here in such and unprecedented occurrence (not just the death of a performer, but one of Michael Jacksons’ unparalleled stature)? How would you determine the best ethical position to take about refunding the money?