[odf-discuss] Ecma Approves Office Open XML

[Lars D. Noodén]

Even if MS' refusal to provide native support for OpenDocument and its 
ongoing refusal to disclose the specifications for its binary
file formats can be rational for a duplicate standard, you still have some 
serious problems:

Demonstrable ties to DRM could disqualify MOOX on the grounds national 
security or technological independence.  However, the arguments are hard 
to present in a sound bite.

Or demonstrable ties and/or lock-in to closed source software would 
disqualify MOOX as well as that goes counter to the point above:
 	http://cryptome.org/echelon-090501.htm

or see points A, 29, 30, and 31:
 	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A5-2001-0264+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

That last approach, that MS will also try to displace OpenDocument, is 
likely to be tried.  In practice MS retains full control of the MOOX 
format via the Ecma TC.

-Lars
Lars Noodén
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