Has Bruce Springsteen broken the law over ticket hold-back?

Bruce Springsteen may have broken the law by withholding 12 per cent of the seated tickets at a recent gig in New Jersey.

Of the 1,126 tickets in the four areas closest to the stage for the May 21 gig at the East Rutherford Izod Center, only 108 were on sale to the public.

This is because Springsteen requested that the rest be held back. Overall 2,262 tickets were saved for the band, record company and agent - coming to 12 per cent of the total amount of tickets available for the concert.

Approximately five per cent is the maximum percentage of tickets that are normally allowed to be held back according to state law. Because such a large amount of tickets were unavailable for public purchase, ticket prices for the rest of seats were driven up, reports NJ.com.

Organisers of the event have denied that what took place was unlawful, stating that the five per cent rule only applies to promoters and not the artists themselves or sponsors or the media.