Is Microsoft Open XML really open?

Microsoft is trying to allay fears about its strong control over document formats by sharing some new technology called Open XML. But how open is it really?

Microsoft is only doing this because they are facing competition from the likes of Adobe and the emerging OpenDocument standard. Microsoft would certainly prefer for the world to use their proprietary file formats, such as .doc (Word for Windows), .xls (Excel) and .ppt (PowerPoint). As long as most people are using these closed formats, it becomes much more difficult for alternatives, such as OpenOffice.org and StarOffice, and in the broader sense, Linux, to gain traction.. Read on over here.