Microsoft and OOXML revisted

When the lede to the story has the lines

by reiterating that it won’t sue over future versions of its file format.

and the title is one about Microsoft, you know it's not going to be good.

For both Microsoft and the public at large.

So, UK might revisit it's yes vote on the OOXML file format.
Microsoft's stand is now wobbly considering they and other vendors have been bashing Sun for not making a Java a true open standard. All approvals had to be routed through Sun and everyone cried foul. Now Microsoft is in the same situation. It seems to need the Open Source tag without losing control over the file format specifications.

That is going to be tough. Very.

It's better to be proprietary and arbitrary in your file formats than to take a stand which is viewed as fake and with suspicion. At least, while not getting good karma, you don't get bad press either.