Ecma-376, DIS 29500, OOXML: Vote fails to get Majority needed

Well, it looks like this is the final tally based on a leaked doc from Finland (allegedly): 17 Yes, 15 No, 9 Abstentions.

Microsoft have failed to get the required 2/3rds majority so it is on to the BRM in February (Unless in the meantime some of the comments are un-reconcilable whereby the whole process could be thrown out!)

On the noooxml.org site they have a list of all votes cast, including the “O” members.

Acknowledgements: NoOOXML, Andy Updegrove, Groklaw, Andreas Fischer

Any further votes that come in I will try and add to this page as soon as possible. Drop me a comment if you know something more or find any inaccuracies.

Update #1: Apparently Ecuador has voted no: http://lowe.no-ip.info/rvtradio/

Update #2: Thanks for the link Andy, have removed non-members of the ISO JTC1

Update #3: The *** indicate a “new” P status member. Probably a M$ puppet.

Update #4: Andy Updegrove now believes that this voting round will result in OOXML NOT gaining the 2/3 majority needed to gain automatic approval as an ISO standard. [Be sure to read the comments on Andy’s post too – a couple of very interesting messages from Alex Brown]. The ISO should hopefully announce the official result today (04/09/07) or very soon thereafter.

Update #5: It appears that Cyprus voted yes.

Update #6: It appears as though Microsoft did not get enough of the important “P” votes. http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-04-2007/0004655552&EDATE=

Update #7: Most of the votes have been leaked. Table is now updated.

Country Vote
  Yes No Abstain Unknown
Australia     abstain  
Azerbaijan yes      
Belgium     abstain  
Canada   no    
China   no    
***Côte-d’Ivoire yes      
***Cyprus yes      
Czech Republic   no    
Denmark   no    
***Ecuador   no    
Finland     abstain  
France   no    
Germany yes      
India   no    
Iran, Islamic Republic of   no    
Ireland   no    
Italy     abstain  
***Jamaica yes      
Japan   no    
Kazakhstan yes      
Kenya yes      
Korea, Republic of   no    
***Lebanon yes      
Malaysia     abstain  
***Malta Yes      
Netherlands     abstain  
New Zealand   no    
Norway   no    
***Pakistan yes      
Saudi Arabia yes      
Singapore yes      
Slovenia     abstain  
South Africa   no    
Spain     abstain  
Switzerland yes      
***Trinidad and Tobago     abstain  
***Turkey yes      
United Kingdom   no    
***Uruguay yes      
USA yes      
***Venezuela yes      
41 17 15 9 0

So – it’s on with the show… Microsoft will be desperately trying to cajole, bribe, corrupt and bully all the “no” and abstain voters before the BRM next February.

There, they will have a week, to review probably a thousand comments and try to get a majority vote by conceding on some of the issues. But there will be trouble with some of the comments which will not be implementable without sacrificing the lock-in and proprietary hooks that M$ really needs.

May we live in interesting times…

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