[A2k] OOXML fails to get approval, but ISO process continues

[jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com]

Vera and all,

  Seems to me that ISO is again engaging in it's
old long standing games by prolonging the process
so that MS can eventually buy enough votes to get
it's OOXML proposal approved as a standard.  I've
been here before...

-----Original Message-----
>From: Vera Franz <vfranz@osieurope.org>
>Sent: Sep 5, 2007 4:42 AM
>To: ipr&publicdomain <ipr@soros.org>, a2k discuss list <a2k@lists.essential.org>
>Subject: [A2k] OOXML fails to get approval, but ISO process continues
>
>[ Converted text/html to text/plain ]
>Congratulations to FFII, Open Forum Europe and the many, many others that have
>worked on this successfully! The fight continues...
>http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/OOXML_fails_to_get_approval%2C_but_ISO_process_continues[1]
>
>Brussels, 5 September 2007. The draft standard OOXML submitted by Microsoft
>and ECMA has been rejected in a vote at ISO, reaching neither the required 2/3
>majority among "participating countries" nor the required 3/4 majority among
>all countries. However, ISO decided not to finish the procedure yet, but
>instead to go for a ballot resolution meeting in February, where Microsoft
>will attempt to present solutions to the numerous problems that have been
>pointed out. If enough countries change their vote, the proposal still has a
>chance to pass.
>
>Several irregularities have been reported in the ISO process. These include
>purchasing of votes in Sweden, admitted by Microsoft; rejection of Microsoft's
>competitors in Portugal because of lack of chairs; hijacking of
>standardisation committees in many countries, including USA, Italy, Colombia
>and Mexico; manipulations of the vote process by presidencies in Switzerland
>and Uruguay; replacement of an insufficiently Microsoft-friendly technical
>committee by a "more agreeable" one in Poland; non-acceptance of competition
>in Venezuela and Ukrania; and more. In general the process has been driven,
>except in a minority of the countries, by attempts to put as many gold
>partners as possible in the committee responsible.
>
>Benjamin Henrion, leader of the FFII NoOOXML.org campaign, comments: "The
>OOXML proposal is so poor that if anyone else had submitted it they would have
>been laughed at. I don't understand why the ISO secretariat has not already
>put it in the waste basket. The continuation of the process means more
>scandals hurting the public image of ISO."
>
>Alberto Barrionuevo, FFII vice president, agrees: "What is at stake is not so
>much the fate of the inappropriately named 'Open XML' format, but ISO's
>reputation. The fact that many ISO member bodies have approved of OOXML due to
>severe manipulations suggests that the process needs to be overhauled. We
>strongly recommend that ISO reconsiders its system and regulations."
>
>Background Information
>
>Microsoft has been pushing for adoption of its Microsoft Office file format as
>an ISO standard. The format was adopted as ECMA 376, and ECMA subsequently
>submitted it to ISO for fast-track (six-month) approval. An unprecedented
>number of comments by ISO member bodies had been submitted in the first stage
>of the process in February 2007.
>
>More information, including the result of the ballot, is available in
>http://www.NoOOXML.org/[2], FFII's web site campaign. The ballot results are
>at are at http://www.NoOOXML.org/ballotresults[3].
>
>See here for Open Forum Europe's press release:
>http://www.openforumeurope.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=989&Itemid=1[4]
>
>
>
>--
>Vera Franz
>Program Manager
>Information Program
><www.soros.org/ip[5]>
>Open Society Foundation
>100, Cambridge Grove
>London W6 0LE
>phone +44 20 7031 0219
>fax +44 20 7031 0247
>
>===References:===
>  1. http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/OOXML_fails_to_get_approval%2C_but_ISO_process_continues
>  2. http://www.NoOOXML.org/
>  3. http://www.NoOOXML.org/ballotresults
>  4. http://www.openforumeurope.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=989&Itemid=1
>  5. http://www.soros.org/ip
>
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