Open Document Formats

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS3446288416.html

California may become the second U.S. state to mandate an open format for all government documents. A bill filed this week by state Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) would require the transition to open, XML-based document formats by 2008.

In September 2005, Massachusetts became the first state to commit to using only nonproprietary document formats, including ODF (Open Document Format). ODF documents can be created by such office suites as OpenOffice.org, KOffice, GNOME Office, and others. Similar legislation is pending in Texas and Minnesota.

A spokesperson for Leno in Sacramento, Calif., told DesktopLinux.com that it will be several weeks before the bill makes its way to the floor for a vote, but that Leno is "optimistic" that it will succeed.

ODF was recognized as a global standard by the International Standards Organization in May 2006.

While normally I dislike government interference this is about making public documents accessible to everyone, and for many years to come. It will also help stop MS from trying to hold users documents hostage to their propriety formats.