Sv.openoffice.org/InternationellaStandarder

Marbux --

"Why is [anyone] bothering to submit EOOXML to ISO if it is already an international standard? The answer is that not all international standards are created equal. Ecma International standards, like OASIS standards, do not qualify as "international standards" within the meaning of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Agreement on Government Procurement. The only qualifying international standards are those adopted by standardization organizations that have authorized representatives of national governments as their only voting members. ISO/IEC is one such organization.

The difference is significant because both of those treaties mandate government use of international standards by all signatory nations. That means, for example, that governments at all levels cannot lawfully specify EOOXML as a software procurement standard if ODF can do the job. So at this time, government procurement of Microsoft Office is largely prohibited and will continue to be illegal until such time as EOOXML is approved as a national standard. It also means that government-operated schools can probably neither lawfully distribute student assignments in Microsoft Office formats nor require that student homework be submitted in Microsoft Office file formats absent compelling reasons that ODF is infeasible. Such reasons are limited to very serious exceptional circumstances. The fact that many ODF-supporting applications are freely available at no cost also cuts heavily against against Microsoft Office in many circumstances. There are many other similar repercussions.

If ISO does not approve EOOXML as a standard, Microsoft will undoubtedly suddenly discover that Microsoft Office can provide native support for ODF after all. :-)