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L’Africa del Sud lancia un appello ufficiale contro OOXML

A quanto pare l’Africa del Sud ha lanciato un appello ufficiale contro l’apptrovazione di OOXML. Ciò sta a significare che ora OOXML starà nel limbo finchè l’appello non sarà deciso. Chissà che Microsoft non abbia deciso di supportare ODF per evitare di essere buttata fuori proprio in seguito all’appello in questione. Chissà se altre istituzioni nazionali prenderanno lo stesso esempio e agiranno come l’Africa del Sud, in fin dei conti ne va anche della reputazione di ISO…

SABS, the National Body member of ISO/IEC JTC1 for South Africa, has filed a formal appeal with both ISO and IEC, challenging the Fast Track adoption of OOXML. With the filing of this formal appeal, DIS 29500 is now formally in limbo (i.e., cannot become an approved standard) until the appeal has been addressed.

The cited basis for South Africa’s appeal is found in the following text of Clause 11.1.2 of the applicable Directives:

A P Member of JTC1 or an SC may appeal against any action or inaction, on the part of JTC 1 or an SC when the P member considers that in such action or inaction:

- questions of principle are involved;
- the contents of a draft may be detrimental to the reputation of IEC or ISO; or
- the point giving rise to objection was not known to JTC 1 or SC during earlier discussions.

The identical three page letters, signed by Mr. M. Kuscus, Chief Executive Officer of SABS, include other concerns not directly based upon the language of the Directives, as follows:

In addition, South Africa wishes to register its deep concern over the increasing tendency of international organizations to use the JTC 1 processes to circumvent the consensus-building process that is the cornerstone to the success and international acceptance of ISO and IEC standards. The ability of large multi-national organizations to influence many national bodies, with the resultant block-voting over-riding legitimate issues raised by other countries, is also of concern.

Fonte (in inglese)