The free software world is being attacked by a large, wealthy, brutal monopolist, who I’ll call “Megatron” for today. As I wrote last month, Megatron is driving its OOXML tank through the village church of open standards, doing unspeakable things to the ISO process, with the intention of locking in a generation of computer users to its stack of patented, restricted, and undocumented formats. It’s about freedom, some of us want it, others want to take it away from us.

Let me give you some examples of how far Megatron has his hands around the throat of the standards process. Cote d’Ivoire, in West Africa: chairman of the board is a Megatron business partner, elected unanimously. Switzerland: the chairman tells the participants: “however you vote we will say ’yes’ to Megatron’s proposal”. Mauritius: the vote takes place at an event hosted by Megatron. Megatron evangalist Doug Mahugh travels to New Delhi, Sydney, Czech Republic, Belgium, Slovenia, Munich, the Ukraine, Kiev, Beijing, Sao Paolo, Santiago, Bogota, Mexico City, Kenya, South Africa, then back to India. At every stop, an unprepared and naive standards board is bent into shape, filled with local Megatron partners, and the vote is carefully planned. Megatron does best in the far corners, away from the spotlight. The U.S., China, India, Spain, Italy, U.K. fight him off.

It’s a serious challenge to the community, and in this article I want to explain how we fight back.

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