Microsoft OSP is a pie crust promise

The Software Freedom Law Center has a paper out today making this charge regarding Microsoft's Open Specification Promise. It was easily made and can be easily broken.

The subtext here is Microsoft's Office Open XML, which could soon become an ISO standard following what a friend refers to as a Florida election.

The paper, which carries no byline, adds that the OSP covers only specifications, not code, and the provision is inconsistent with the GPL.

While we're still waiting on results in the ISO process many Microsoft opponents are fearful the company has won by bribing the delegations of small countries and putting political pressure on U.S. and European delegations.

Sort of puts that whole "good Microsoft" bit I wrote about last month into a cocked hat, eh?