What, no flames allowed at the Vancouver Winter Olympics?

Global BC TV News Hour ran a great story on January 21, 2010 in its "Beyond the Podium" series as part of its coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. According to the story, Will Tamasky, owner of the BC business Toasterz that sells products that feature a flame as part of each product's name was sent a cease and desist or pay us $5,000 compensation by the Canadian Olympic Committee's (COC) legal counsel.

I find this really funny because there are all kinds of other products and organizations that feature a flame as part of the brand, to name just two that spring to mind:

• Ronson's Lighter Fuel and similar products from that company



• Calgary Flames hockey team logo -- and the Olympic Torch Relay just passed through Calgary in the last day or two

I wonder if it will be illegal during the Vancouver Winter Olympics to advertise a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by illustrating the ad with a Bic lighter's flame?

In fact, given the prominence of the Olympic Torch and the flame, I think all flames, representations of flames and sources of flames should be banned. This would include clothing depicting the Human Torch character from the Marvel Comics series the Fantastic Four.