[legal] Questions about OpenID Europe Trademark Policy

[Martin Atkins]

Hans Granqvist wrote:
>> There has been a lot of conversation about the use of the TM symbol, all
>> lawyers explain that it is important to write it… to avoid in the future
>> OpenID become a word like "kleenex", "email"…
> 
> But... Don't you *want* that to happen?
> 
> "Nobody should own this. Nobody's planning on making any money from this."
> and all that, you know.
> 

Presumably the concern is that other non-OpenID but identity-related 
things could become known as "OpenID" as well. Other examples include 
people calling Atom "RSS", and calling Pepsi "Coke".

The goal is to protect the trademark to avoid confusion in the 
marketplace, not as a source of income.

(At least, that *should* be the goal! I don't speak for OpenID Europe.)