PRESS RELEASE -- [ Europe / Economy / Innovation ]
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FFII puts up a prize in fight against Microsoft Office standardisation
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Brussels, June 27, 2007 -- The Foundation for a Free Information
Infrastructure (FFII), said that it was putting up a 2,500 Euro prize in
its fight against Microsoft's attempt to gain international
standardisation for its Office format.
Veteran FFII campaigner Benjamin Henrion, founder of the
noOOXML.org
site, explains: "Microsoft is spending millions on rent-a-crowd support
for international certification for its proprietary Office format,
OOXML. But we already have an ISO standard for word processing, called
ODF (Open Document Format). OOXML is Microsoft's attempt to subvert this
existing standard, to keep its strangle-hold on the world of documents.
It's time for activists across the world to stand up, to reach out to
their national ISO bodies, and to explain why Microsoft's format is not
open, not a standard, and not XML."
The FFII is putting its money where its mouth is. The team that makes
the best effort to helping the International Standardization
Organisation (ISO) fight off Microsoft's lobbying stands to win an FFII
"Kayak Award", consisting of 2,500 Euro and the chance to present their
campaign at the FFII's annual conference in November.
FFII president Pieter Hintjens explains: "In July 2005, before the vote
on the Software Patents Directive, a group of young campaigners took to
kayaks, in the waters outside the Parliament building in Strasbourg.
They fought a symbolic battle with industry lobbyists who had rented a
yacht. The Kayak symbolises individual skill and collective action."
To qualify for nomination for the Kayak Award, a team or campaigner must
show how they made a significant impact on the ISO process, "to defend
ODF and stop Microsoft's attempts to corrupt the international
standards-setting process", as Henrion puts it. "Anything goes:
websites, letter-writing campaigns, going to meetings, even kayaks."
The deadline for nominations is 31 August, and the award winner will be
announced on 30 September 2007.
For more details see
http://www.noOOxml.org/kayak .
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Background Information
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Microsoft is pushing for adoption of its Microsoft Office file format as
an ISO standard in a fast-track mode. Countries members of ISO has until
the 2nd of September to make their mind on the specification. Most of
the countries are receiving comments from the public until the end of
June or the beginning of July.
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Links
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* Say NO to Microsoft Office broken standard
http://www.noooxml.org
* Kayak prize to defeat OOXML to become an ISO standard
http://www.noooxml.org/kayak
* Microsoft invading Denmark with puppets
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-12377/microsoft-invading-denmark-with-puppets
* FFII opposes Fasttrack adoption of Microsoft OOXML format as ISO
standard
http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/FFII_opposes_Fasttrack_adoption_of_Mic…
* Pictures of the activist kayaks vs. the patent lobby yacht
http://gallery.ffii.org/v/BxlStbRizox050706/
* Permanent link to this press release
http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/FFII_puts_up_a_prize_in_fight_against_…
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Contact information
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Benjamin Henrion
FFII Brussels
+32-2-414 84 03
+32-484-566109
bhenrion(a)ffii.org
(French/English)
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About the FFII
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The FFII is a not-for-profit association registered in twenty European
countries, dedicated to the development of information goods for the
public benefit, based on copyright, free competition, open standards.
More than 850 members, 3,500 companies and 100,000 supporters have
entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions
concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing.
--
Thierry Coutelier Président LiLux asbl
7, Rue Jacques Sturm L-2556 Luxembourg
Office:+352 710725 608 Home:+352 406776
http://www.lilux.lu/