RE: [xml-dev] Microsoft buys the Swedish vote on OOXML?

[Len Bullard <len.bullard@uai.com>]

The author of that article is on dangerous legal ground.

"One would think that SIS would not accept new companies to participate in
the vote since they haven't been part of the earlier discussions and
meetings. But according to SIS they didn't see any problem that new
companies wanted to take part in this vote without prior notice. So what
happened here is that Microsoft gather together a bunch of loyal partners
that would vote yes to their standard without any questions."

None of that other than the time they signed up is supported by evidence.
It is more likely that Microsoft partners vote for this submission for the
same reason Massachusetts changed the position given switching costs.  This
is self-interest.  No proof of bribery is shown.  There is no indication
that questions have not been asked.  Continuing to make that charge in
public forums without proof is opening the author and the employer of the
author as well as the publisher to slander lawsuits.  This is not a good
thing, Jonathan.

Google's paper is specious.  It claims wide use for ODF without the numbers
to back that up.  My guess is the number of users of products that can use
OOXML is far greater than that of ODF and in fact they support that later in
the paper.  Worse, they claim to be offering no legal advice, then go on to
make legal assertions about the OOXML IP.

I am not arguing technical merit here.  This is about a slander campaign
conducted by companies and individuals opposed to OOXML.

This bitter butter battle over white elephant products demonstrates in a
very disappointing way the hypocrisy of claiming moral high ground for the
sake of commercial advantage.  They are destroying their own credibility.  

Yuck.

len


From: Jonathan Robie [mailto:jonathan.robie@redhat.com] 
 
Interesting article on the Swedish vote on making OOXML an ISO Standard:

Microsoft buys the Swedish vote on OOXML
Posted by Kim Haverblad - Monday, 27 August 2007
http://www.os2world.com/content/view/14868/1/

According to this article, 23 companies joined without prior notice in 
order to be able to vote, which would have clearly been a "no" vote 
without the votes of these new companies. Most of these companies are 
Microsoft partners.

One of these new companies was Google, which strongly opposes OOXML, and 
has created the following position paper:

http://www.odfalliance.org/resources/Google%20OOXML%20Q%20%20A.pdf

Jonathan

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