Open Standards under siege in the European Union, writes David Hammerstein of TACD. Did I miss something important?
Nevertheless, openness still seems to be considered a dirty word in a number of official corridors of Brussels that are probably under the well-organized lobbying efforts of the Microsoft empire (according to some malicious rumours difficult to believe the campaign is being promoted by “revolving door” European Commission officials who returned to public service after a number of years of “leave” on the Microsoft payroll). According to many observers this US IT giant is trying to counter-attack after taking heavy blows and fines precisely from the new Digital Commissioner Nelly Kroes…
I mean, honestly, David Hammerstein himself may be a “revolving door” MEP (no, not really!) who now works for the US consumer group TACD. “according to some malicious rumours difficult to believe” smells badly. Why should a returned official who was silenced for an agenda further the goals of his former interim employer? A so called Stockholm syndrome(not to be mistaken with the Stockholm institute or Stockholm programme)?
The only revolving-door member who returned I am aware of is Detlef Eckert. Expect such officials to be more restrained and mature in their actions.
As of Microsoft Corporation we don’t really know what their precise position on open standards currently is, despite that the foresight lobby troops try to sell eHealth standards, off or on topic, everywhere. Of course it doesn’t sell which basically is rooted in the fact that eHells eHealth standards is such a bad trade mark.
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