Microsoft to "open" it's file formats

Created by Stuart Yeates (University of Oxford) on November 22, 2005

Microsoft have announced that they will "open" their file formats by submitting them to ECMA International, a standards body. The ECMA is the lowest rung on the standards ladder, and effectively acts as a rubber-stamp for proprietary standards. Unfortunately from the articles circulating, it appears that Microsoft are going for post hoc standardisation, rather than the approach open office took of getting feedback from external third parties. These is also no word on whether Microsoft are going to licence their patents covering the format so parties in countries with software patents (i.e. the US) can legally access the files.

Still, it's a step forward for Microsoft, and in 2007 I guess Office 2003 may become technically standards compliant.

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More details have emrged,

Submitted by Stuart Yeates (University of Oxford) on November 30, 2005 - 12:30am.

More details have emrged, and it looks like this is not so great as it might be:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1894039,00.asp

"not so great as it might

Submitted by Henry E. Schaffer (North Carolina State University) on December 26, 2005 - 8:12pm.

"not so great as it might be" may be an understatement!

The link you give in "More details have emerged" and subsequent "read more" from there go into detail about how there are indications that the file formats will have restrictions on them which limit their usability - and may very well prohibit Open Source software from using those "open" file formats.

But those articles are written by nice people - much too nice to point out Microsoft's previous behavior with respect to openness. Anybody remember the "poisoned JAVA" versions? How about releasing (i.e., claiming to release) the Office API, but keeping secret many of the useful calls?

My bet is the the final result will allow Microsoft to claim openness, but that there will be no general usefulness.

		Microsoft to "open" it's file formats Created by Stuart Yeates (University of Oxford) on November 22, 2005 Microsoft have announced that they will "open" their file formats by submitting them to ECMA International, a standards body. The ECMA is the lowest rung on the standards ladder, and effectively acts as a rubber-stamp for proprietary standards. Unfortunately from the articles circulating, it appears that Microsoft are going for post hoc standardisation, rather than the approach open office took of getting feedback from external third parties. These is also no word on whether Microsoft are going to licence their patents covering the format so parties in countries with software patents (i.e. the US) can legally access the files. Still, it's a step forward for Microsoft, and in 2007 I guess Office 2003 may become technically standards compliant. 6708 \| Open Source \| Open Standards \| OpenOffice \| Patents \| Software Patents \| standardization \| Standards Stuart's blog Login or register to post comments 5208 reads More details have emrged, Submitted by Stuart Yeates (University of Oxford) on November 30, 2005 - 12:30am. More details have emrged, and it looks like this is not so great as it might be: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1894039,00.asp Login or register to post comments "not so great as it might Submitted by Henry E. Schaffer (North Carolina State University) on December 26, 2005 - 8:12pm. "not so great as it might be" may be an understatement! The link you give in "More details have emerged" and subsequent "read more" from there go into detail about how there are indications that the file formats will have restrictions on them which limit their usability - and may very well prohibit Open Source software from using those "open" file formats. But those articles are written by nice people - much too nice to point out Microsoft's previous behavior with respect to openness. Anybody remember the "poisoned JAVA" versions? How about releasing (i.e., claiming to release) the Office API, but keeping secret many of the useful calls? My bet is the the final result will allow Microsoft to claim openness, but that there will be no general usefulness. Login or register to post comments
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