The BBC leased itself a botnet [zdnet.com]. I couldn t quite believe it when I read it. There are so many things wrong about this that I hardly know where to start. Regardless of how much the total sum was, they sponsored the underground economy. Paying money to criminals (for illegal goods) is not only unethical but also considered illegal in most countries. The BBC broke the law right there and then already, not when they actively started using the botnet. They had not only to think about their own local laws, but also international laws.
Source: https://threatpost.com/bbc-botnet-buy-what-were-they-thinking-031609/72416/