Amused by a comment on Slashdot that said "these days you need a scorecard to keep the villainous industry groups straight," Breakdown decided to step up to the plate and bring to you:
The Breakdown Industries Scorecard to Villainous Industry Groups
Recording Industry Association of America -- The RIAA. Trade and lobbyist group representing the major record labels. Illegally subpoenas customer access logs from ISPs and launches reckless (and massive) lawsuits against average citizens. Accepts large cash settlements in lieu of taking targets to a risky court case.
Motion Picture Association of America -- The MPAA. Trade and lobbyist group representing the film/video industry. Notorious for pushing for regulations that limit customer rights, even those ensured by Fair Use copyright laws.
Clear Channel -- By far the largest owner of radio stations in the world. At the center of the widespread Pay For Play scandal. Owns more outdoor advertising space than anyone else. Owns and operates most major concert venues.
TicketMaster -- Also owns TicketWeb.com. Has a strangle-hold over the ticketing business. Leverages monopoly position to raise base ticket price and extract exorbitant "convenience" charges -- often 30% over the ticket price.
The Big 5 -- Universal, Warner, EMI, BMG, and Sony. Repeatedly sued for price-fixing. Notorious for ripping off their musicians. Those 5 companies control 80% of the music industry.
The United States Congress -- Systematically removing citizen's rights and strengthening corporate control over markets by passing ill-conceived laws such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the so-called Patriot Act.
George W. Bush -- more of a villainous individual than a villainous industry group, but any list of villains without W seems a bit half-assed. And Breakdown strives to bring you the whole ass, all the time.