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Questions over open standards lobbyists
Computer Weekly - The power of large software corporations is demonstrated by the immense
trouble an elected government has when it attempts to act in a way that
doesn't put their interests before the public good.
That's been the UK experience this last year since the Cabinet Office introduced its open standards policy.
The
way the rights holders were acting, anyone would think the government
was trying to outlaw proprietary standards. Microsoft and Oracle threatened trade wars with China. The British Standards Institution and ISO threatened the UK with expulsion from their powerful club.
Never
mind that the government was elected on a promise that it would promote
open standards. When Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude pulled his open standards policy, his lieutenants said
the matter was going to public consultation so they could avoid being
sued by those "vested interests" who were opposed to it. Those vested
interests were Microsoft, Oracle, Apple, and the Business Software Alliance. What do they care about Britain's public good?
There
might be a case for outlawing proprietary standards, but that is not
what the government is trying to do. It is merely trying to implement a
procurement policy.