The Document Foundation (TDF), the non-profit behind LibreOffice, has publicly criticized Microsoft for its actions during the 2006–2008 international standardization process. TDF claims that Microsoft manipulated the process to secure ISO/IEC 29,500 status for its Office Open XML (OOXML) format.
According to TDF, the 6,000-page OOXML specification was pushed through an ISO fast-track procedure intended for shorter documents, preventing experts from conducting a thorough technical review. While the proposal initially failed in September 2007 due to objections from countries including Brazil, India, France, and Norway, it was approved in April 2008 after a re-vote.
TDF alleges that national standardization committees saw an influx of new members linked to Microsoft during this period. For example, the Italian committee grew from 5 to over 80 members, while the Portuguese committee also added numerous members with business ties to Microsoft. ISO coordinator Martin Bryan noted that these additions influenced procedural voting.
The foundation argues that Microsoft uses a 'Transitional' version of OOXML in Office 2010 and Microsoft 365, rather than the 'Strict' ISO-approved version. This reliance on a proprietary implementation creates compatibility challenges for third-party software like LibreOffice and WPS Office, leading TDF to advocate for the broader adoption of the ODF format.
