[odf-discuss] Ecma Approves Office Open XML

[marbux]

On 12/8/06, SEPT-Solutions <info at sept-solutions.de> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> > The news aren't exactly unexpected. Unless I'm missing something here,
> > OpenXML will become an ISO standard sooner or later.
>
> I hear that from lots of people, include MS.
>
> I thought it is  impossible, because you would have two ISO standards for
> the same thing, an XML zipped document format for office applications?
>

It all boils down to whether a second standard is "necessary" within
the meaning of "unnecessary" in the Agreement on Technical Barriers to
Trade and the Agreement on Government Procurement. The relevant
sections are linked from footnote 1 on this page
<http://www.opendocumentfellowship.org/development/why#note1>.

Microsoft's case that EOOXML is "necessary" rests entirely on: [i] its
own refusal to provide native support for OpenDocument in MS Office;
and [ii] its refusal to disclose the specifications for its binary
file formats so that others could write adequate filters for
converting legacy Office files to OpenDocument. In essence, Microsoft
is attempting to extort a separate standard by holding for ransom the
conversion of those billions of legacy Office binary documents to XML.

It is not a strong legal position.

Don't forget that the Gartner Group gave only 30 per cent odds that
ISO will approve EOOXML as a standard.
<http://www.gartner.com/resources/140100/140101/iso_approval_of_oasis_opendo_140101.pdf>.
I give even lower odds.

But we will see.

Best regards,

Marbux