Cease-and-Desist cases have been mighty popular as of late. I might be exaggerating, but it's no lie that if you've had your ear to the ground within the local scene, you've known about acts being forced by the courts to change their names because of copyright infringement or just using the same name. Eric Warner's experimental noise-band, Dollarama, was told by the eastern Canadian shopping chain to cease-and-desist for using their name. Now, Warner is on the other side of the battle. However, this time, he's the one asking for someone to cease and desist. Who? The Canadian Football League.

The annual Toronto-based music festival created and operated by local show promoter Eric Warner called OVER THE TOP Festival. The festival is in its sixth year and is only getting bigger. Acts such as Japanther, Daniel Johnson, Michael Gira, The Meligrove Band, Mt. Eerie & many, many more are performing. Where's the issue, you ask? The Canadian Football League are hosting the 95th Grey Cup in Toronto this upcoming season and the fairly massive pre-game tailgate party is called "OVER THE TOP". Conflict? Looks like!

To skip ahead to the guts of the story as it was initially reported by Nadja Sayej of The Globe and Mail, Warner took action against the CFL proclaiming that "Over The Top" is a name that he owns via copyright in which no one else can use. Who won? The CFL, right? WRONG. The CFL and Grey Cup people have temporarily renamed their event the "Grey Cup 2007 Festival". Sooner or later, the tailgate party will be renamed. As for Eric Warner's Over The Top Festival, it still lives on. In fact, it begins on MAY 3rd. Also, it goes through 'til MAY 6th.

(Image: Over The Top Festival image and Grey Cup Over The Top Image)