Sony BMG, the European Commission (EC) and Russia have all been nominated for this year"s "internet villain" award. The annual awards - run by UK trade group ISPA - are supposed to "reflect those individuals or organisations that have either helped or hampered the interests of the Internet industry in the past year".
Past winners of the "villain" award have included BT and the Home Office. This year, though, the nominations seek their inspiration from further afield. Among the villains nominated this year are EU Commissioner Viviane Reding and her plans to extend the scope of broadcasting regulation to content delivered via the Internet.