Office XML Submitted to Ecma

The Microsoft Office Open XML file format technology will be submitted to the Ecma standards body, and Microsoft has promised not to sue for patent infringement anyone who builds software that can read and write to Office Open XML files. The moves earned praise from a prominent open-source advocate and could help Microsoft satisfy governments (such as Massachusetts and the European Union) that want to ensure that government documents are not locked into proprietary formats.

Ecma (formerly the European Computer Manufacturers Association, but now known only by its acronym) is a standards body that focuses on development of standards for IT and consumer technologies. Microsoft has previously submitted the C# programming language and the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI)-components of Microsoft’s .NET Framework-to Ecma for approval of standards. Standards developed by Ecma are often approved by the International Standards Organization (ISO) as well.