Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 108016
since word 2007 is illegal for ms to sell, office 2003 binary filters?
Last modified: 2010-05-22 10:05:30 UTC
there was a successful injunction of a small company against microsoft concerning the docx and related XML formats specific to Office 2007. It kicks in in January and Microsoft can no longer sell Microsoft Word products that use it. it is in the news. my concern is, is it also wrong for OpenOffice to also still be using this format? While we are at it, Since pretty much everyone in business uses Office 2003, can we have Office 2003 binary format filters again? Microsoft binary (and other) file formats are at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc313118.aspx
Canadian i4i won a conflict against Microsoft concerning US-Patent 5,787,449. In several German news OOo is seen involved (patent seems to be concerning XML in general), I can't decide that.
the actual patent i4i filed is readable at http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,787,449.PN.&OS=PN/5,787,449&RS=PN/5,787,449 see article http://www.betanews.com/joewilcox/article/Is-Microsoft-violator-or-victim-in-i4i-patent-dispute/1250119565 "Toronto-based i4i claims that Microsoft infringed on US patent 5,787,449, which was issued in July 1998. In March 2007, the company filed the case in Tyler, where a jury later found for i4i." I started reading through the patent, and it doesn't seem to be "XML in general". it seems to be a system where metadata has been worked into the document as a metacode map. I could be wrong, but I think not all XML is like that. read through it yourself.
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-Patent-Lawsuit-Could-Spell-Trouble-for-OpenSource-Format-437250/ article talks about ODF 1.2 using lawsuitable format similar to Office 2007. the i4i format talks about having an XML file with a meta? map inside of the file (I am going by memory now) which maps to data in the file. that was mostly what I got out of the patent.
http://www.linux-magazine.com/Online/News/i4i-OpenOffice-Doesn-t-Infringe-Our-Patents apparently i4i has examined Openoffice and has said it is in the clear. it doesn't infringe like MS Word. I still would like Office 2003 binary filters, since that is what the whole world practically is using. Most everybody liked/likes Office 2003. and something that would read and write that binary format would be VERY nice and business-like and business-compatible. There are a LOT of documents in Office 2003 format. Thery are not in Office 97 format. When you get or send a resume, it's going to be in Office 2003 format or it's going to be in PDF format. spreadsheets are likely going to be in 2003 format. powerpoints are likely going to be in 2003 format. a System Requirements Specification Document template and a Engineering Change Order template would be very nice to have too. Those are common documents within the engineering section of corporations.
I would like to add that I am in a quandry. I am being forced to buy ms office again because I have no assurance of backward compatibility with my Word 2003 documents. and I am in need of an OS rebuild. and I can't find my original MS Office package anywhere (May have accidentally donated it and all my system stuff). how many people have to go through this with their systems? or they have a used system and have to rebuild because of a virus or spyware? they, like I, want to keep their documents. but the only REAL answer to the problem of backward compatibility is to get Microsoft Office. it can read Office 2003 .doc files. Even when OpenOffice.org used to offer 2.4.3 on its ftp servers for 2003 compatibility, you had to choose between 3.2.0 for 2007 compatibility, or 2.4.3 for 2003 compatibility. you couldn't have both. that chaps my hide. and it forces me to go out and buy microsoft office, because 1. 2.4.3 is no longer available so I can read and edit my older 2003 documents 2. I still get new documents in 2007 format (.docx) all the time from the microsoft web site and I need to be able to read and print them 3. I can't install both 2.4.3 and 3.2.0 at the same time. 4. I have a complicated Excel 2003 spreadsheet that shares data between multiple sheets, which seem to break OpenOffice.org, at least in the past. it is my budget.
it appears that microsoft office 2003 documents come through just fine. with one bug that I know of, my documents are safe. however, I cannot use the Avery Wizard software for doing document templates that plugs into Microsoft Word, at least I don't think I can. can someone please supply the Avery templates?
never mind. found a source for the avery templates. just go to avery.com and pick the number and download one. I'm happy. :-)
I was wrong again. I had 3.1.0 installed. upgraded to 3.2.0. - I cannot save as 2007 format documents - I cannot save as 2003 format documents and calc complains about stuff being lost. looks like I am going to be buying Office 2010.
@jmichae3 Can you please explain what your problems some more detailed and also explain why you think that your problems have to do with i4i patents?
the original issue was office 2003 binary filters. after some excel 2003 testing, I have discovered that the import/export filters for Excel are working well, and my simple office documents and Word avery forms come through OK. I need to take these other issues as a separate bug request.
This issue is not FIXED
but "worksforme". @jmichae3: Please read guidelines concerning issue status!
worksforme -> closed