OOXML Vote Sparks Protest; EC Investigation Confirmed

InformationWeek: Microsoft Says OOXML Vote Was Fair

“Microsoft said allegations that it improperly influenced the
vote on a new standard for digital document creation are unfounded
and arise mostly from individuals and companies unhappy with the
vote’s result.

“‘People who didn’t like the outcome are attacking the outcome,’
said Tom Robertson, Microsoft’s general manager for
interoperability and standards, in an interview Friday…”

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internetnews.com: EC Investigates OOXML ‘Process’

“Besides a probe begun in January regarding whether OOXML is
sufficiently interoperable with competitors’ products, an EC
spokesperson has now acknowledged that the commission is also
looking into Microsoft’s tactics in the contentious standard
setting process surrounding OOXML.

“‘In the course of the investigation of the interoperability
issues related to Microsoft’s products… we have indeed made
inquiries with the… national standardization organizations about
possible irregularities in the OOXML standardization process,’ the
EC spokesperson said in an e-mail to InternetNews.com…”

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Story

ConsortiumInfo: Standards to the People!

“The details come from Geir Isene, who you may recall from this
prior entry was part of the Standards Norge OOXML mirror committee
that overwhelmingly voted to disapprove OOXML, only to be overruled
by Standards Norge officials (who voted to approve). He later
reported that committee chair Steve Pepper filed a protest with ISO
over that vote (Standards Norge released an explanation of its
action that you can find here). Now, Geir reports that Pepper is
calling for a public demonstration to protest the Norwegian vote.
The demo will be held on Wednesday when SC34, the same ISO
committee that had responsibility for considering OOXML, will
conveniently hold a meeting in Oslo…”

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