Policy · 20h ago
Microsoft’s proprietary formats keep users locked in, says Document Foundation
The Document Foundation, behind LibreOffice, argues that Microsoft’s proprietary file formats are its primary tool for vendor lock-in. The blog post highlights how Microsoft’s Office Open XML (OOXML) standard is not fully open, making it difficult for competitors to achieve full compatibility. This strategy, the foundation claims, stifles competition and forces users to stick with Microsoft products.
Meridian48 take
The critique is valid, but Microsoft’s lock-in also stems from network effects and enterprise integration, not just file formats.
Read the full reporting
How proprietary formats have become Microsoft’s main tool for lock-in →
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