Suppose you have a free software package that includes an OpenID login form. Such forms are supposed to include a little OpenID logo . But as hard as you look, you can't find a license for the OpenID logo. Though there seem to be indications that it might get one in 2009, it seems like it will not be free enough to be included in a free software package.

Due to this problem, all the ikiwiki sites out there have not used the OpenID logo, or indeed any logo, in their login form for the 2+ years that ikiwiki has proudly supported OpenID. That was so suboptimal that I spent some donations to commision an unofficial OpenID logo openidlogin-bg.gif. It's freely licensed for use in whatever.

Putting the little OpenID logo in the login form is a nice touch, it helps spread awareness about OpenID and users learn to look for it. The fact that free software packages can't include it weakens that. Having an alternative logo that evokes the "real" logo and the concept of a login is better than no logo at all. But it is also needlessly confusing.

I encourage the new OpenID board to reconsider plans for logo licensing, and bear in mind that many free software packages can have native OpenID support, and should be able to include a copy of the logo, without worrying about it conflicting with their license, or not being free enough to be included in a free software distribution.