London Olympics: Top Three Crazy Corporate Rules Medalists

The Olympics will bring together 204 nations in London this year, showcasing some of the most determined, well-trained and passionate sportspeople on the planet.

But behind the hype, excitement and anticipation of one of the greatest spectacles Britain will ever see, is the corporate deals and rules that threaten to mar any sense of fun a spectator will experience.

In the spirit of the founder of the modern Olympic Movement Pierre de Frédy,otherwise known as Baron de Coubertin, hereby award the following Medals of Dishonour to the joy-sapping fat-cats who've taken all the fun out of the Games.

BRONZE: Visa: ATM and Ticket Exclusivity

How many times have you scrambled to find a cash machine at major events and then only to find that the few, which are peppered across the vicinity, have painfully long queues?

Well, expect it to get worse.

As a "Worldwide Olympic Games Sponsor since 1986", Visa has managed to wrangle a deal with the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, where it has exclusivity over all payment options when it comes to London2012.

It was bad enough when people looking to buy tickets had to use a Visa only card, however Olympic venues will now have significantly pared down ATM facilities, as part of the exclusive deal.

Sites such as Wembley will see its cash machines being slashed to only 8 Visa ATMs, which will run on the company's own system, from a previous 27 cash machines in total.

Tickets holders with Mastercard credit or debit cards will not be able to use the ATMs to withdraw money and ATMs at Earl's Court, Excel North Greenwich Arena, Wembley Arena, Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, Old Trafford, St James' Park and the City of Coventry Stadium will either be switched off or charge a fee.

It will, of course, free to use the Visa card one.

Visa would not comment on how much revenue it expected to generate from ATM exclusivity but the move is best summed up by Ron Delnevo, the managing director of Bank Machine, the largest operator of free and fee-charging ATMS.

"The vast majority of people attending the Games, from over 200 countries, have no interest in becoming guinea pigs in product launches by sponsors," said Delnevo. "They are gathering to celebrate sporting excellence and should be allowed to do so, unhindered by the commercial manoeuvring of sponsors."

SILVER: McDonald's Supersizing Efforts

With Olympic athletes representing dedication to nutrition and exercise to craft a well-oiled sports machine, you would think the London Games would be a great way to kick start the promotion of healthy eating and exercise.

With the UK suffering an incremental obesity epidemic this is the inspiration the nation needs.

So it's no surprise that some doctors, athletes and the general public hit back following the announcement that fast food giant McDonald's would gain exclusive rights to sell branded food products inside the venue.

In a bid to supersize the experience for the 10,500 athletes and half a million spectators, McDonald's will open a two-story restaurant at the games, seating 1,500 diners and serving up to 14,000 people a day.

The Academy of Royal Medical Colleges recently said that having McDonald's sponsor the Olympics sends the wrong message - not least in Britain, which is battling increasing obesity.

Of course, Jill McDonald, chief executive at McDonald's UK hit back with the corporate PR speak.

"We do offer a breadth of menu," said Jill McDonald, chief executive at McDonald's UK. "You can see on the menu here we have grilled chicken wraps, we have salads, fruit smoothies as well as the more indulgent recipes that people know and love."

Indeed, but when a salad can rack up more calories than a cheeseburger, then you can see why McDonald's has got up in so many people's grills.

'It is clearly sending the wrong signal to kids and young people. If we want them to be healthy and educate them to eat healthily, we need to think about approaching them in a different way, especially around sport," said Olympic Silver medallist, Amir Khan. "The Olympics is a great opportunity to show young people what types of food they need in different aspects of their lives. I think this is a mistake."

GOLD: Trademark Control Freakery

Effectively, if you aren't a corporate sponsor, you are pretty much breaking a trademark rule in some way.

When companies pay buckets of cash to sponsor a major event like the Olympics, it is natural legal restrictions to trademark and exclusivity, in some cases in place.

However, the London2012 Olympics have taken it to a whole other level, making people weary and fundamentally fed up of the games already.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Locog) insisted that legalities around the trademark, whether talking about it, taking pictures, the logo or even putting on a pub chalk board that "you can watch the London Olympics in here," is there to secure the big contracts and protect sponsors.

However, the control freakery from Locog and International Olympic Committee (IOC) have managed to put plans in place to cripple its own economy.

A grandmother who knitted a jumper with Olympic hoops on the front for a charity shop was reprimanded and kebab shops that are usually only frequented by the late at night drunks had been forced to change their names.

According to new rules, "shops who have used the word 'Olympic' in the name of their business are exempt from policing by the LOCOG as long as the name was established before 1995, a decade before the 2005 London bid."

Now, even using one of the two of the following words in an expression, "Games, Two Thousand and Twelve, 2012, Twenty-Twelve," are likely to be considered a breach of the rules.

Expressions with words, London, medals, sponsors, summer, gold, silver or bronze is another likely breach. Even posting your pictures of you gurning with a thumbs up in Olympic Park could land you with a fine.