No Response on Unfair Promotion of Microsfoft Products by the CRTC
Just a quick update, I'm still waiting for a response to an email I sent to the Federal Government back in March of 2007
I had gotten a referal to the Minister of Industry in May 2007 which can be viewed
here
____________ Mensaje original _______________
Asunto: Microsoft File Format Promotion on CRTC Website
Fecha: Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:43:15 -0600
De: Mathieu Allard
Para: Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca
CC: simarr@parl.gc.ca
The Honourable Jim Prentice
Minister of Industry,
Dear Minister,
Please find attached correspondence which was forwarded to Minister Maxime Bernier in his capacity as Minister of Industry in March of 2007. Also, please note the change my change of address since the original correspondence which you will find at the end of my email. I have included in the body of this email the correspondence that led to the attached Letter.
I respectfully await your reply.
Sincerely,
Mathieu Allard
___________ Mensaje original ________________
Asunto: Re: [Fwd: RE: Unfair Promotion of Microsoft Products]
Fecha: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:08:32 -0500
De: Mathieu Allard
Para: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
CC: simarr@parl.gc.ca
Referencias: <441B491A.6000302@opalescent.ca>
The Honourable Beverley J. Oda,
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
CC The Honourable Raymond Simard
Dear Minister,
I am writing further to my original email which was sent on March 17th, 2006.
Please let me know if a response is forthcoming.
Sincerely,
Mathieu Allard
> The Honourable Beverley J. Oda
> Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
>
> CC The Honourable Raymond Simard
>
> Dear Minister,
>
> I am bringing this issue to your attention as the CRTC reports to= p>
> Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
>
> On page :
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/help.htm
>
> There is a reference to .doc and to .xls files and links to
> office.microsoft.com for help on how to view these files.
>
> While I understand that these are popular file formats, I also
> understand that these file formats are owned and controlled by a si= ngle
> vendor, in this case Microsoft Corporation.
>
> In advertising specific brands on the website, the CRTC is giving t= his
> specific vendor an unfair competitive advantage over other firms th= at
> provide spreadsheet and word processing systems.
>
> The larger office productivity industry has come together to create=
> international standards for these file formats under the name of
> OpenDocument. OpenDocument is not only a standard via OASIS
> (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standar= ds),
> but was submitted by OASIS to the ISO/IEC JTC1 (International
> Organization for Standardization International Electrotechnical
> Commission's Joint Technical Committe= e).
>
> More information on OpenDoucument can= be found at:
> http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/= office
>
>
> Refer to the March 7 press release:= span>
> http://www.oasis-open.org/news/oasis-= news-2006-03-07.php
>
> I have written to the CRTC on this ma= tter and they have responded that
> "Some of the documents on our si= te have originated outside the
> Commission and are in a format other = than HTML and are made available in
> the file format sent to us (we do not= manipulate or convert third party
> documents". However, if these do= cuments are available for public
> download on the website, it is unders= tood that these documents should be
> viewable to the public. It would be r= easonable to convert these
> documents to an open file format or r= equire third parties to submit
> their files in open file formats so t= hat no one is excluded from the
> discussion.
>
> Why does the CRTC not assure that documents be made available for= p>
> download in .pdf format or in the OpenDocument Format, formats that= are
> published vendor neutral file formats?
>
> Thank you very much for taking the time to read my comments and I w= ould
> appreciate an email response as to your position on the issues that= I
> have raised in this email.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> __________________ Original Message ________________
> Subject: RE: Unfair Promotion of Microsoft Products
> Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:00:02 -0500
> From: WEBMASTER
> To: Mathieu Allard
>
>
>
> Mathieu,
>
> Thank you for writing to the CRTC. I apologize for the delay in get= ting
> back to you. Some of the documents on our site have originated outs= ide the
> Commission and are in a format other than HTML and are made availab= le in
> the file format sent to us (we do not manipulate or convert third p= arty
> documents). These documents may require the use of a special reader= and
> that is why we make the information available in our help file. All= CRTC
> documents are published in HTML format and many are also available = in PDF.
>
> I hope this information is helpful.
>
> Lorraine S=C3=A9guin
> Webmestre | Webmaster
>
> (819) 997-4272 | lorraine.seguin@crtc.gc.ca | T=C3=A9l=C3=A9copieur= /Fax: (819)
> 994-0218 Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des t=C3=A9l=C3=A9communic= ations
> canadiennes, Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0N2 Canada Canadian Radio-televis= ion and
> Telecommunications Commission, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2 Canada Gouve= rnement
> du Canada | Government of Canada
>
> _____________________
>
> To Whom It May Concern,
>
> I am writing to bring attention to the fact that on page :
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/help.htm
>
> There is a reference to .doc and to .xls files and links to
> office.microsoft.com for help on how to view these files.
>
> While I understand that these are popular file formats, I also unde= rstand
> that these file formats are owned by Microsoft Corporation.
>
> In advertising the products on the website, I feel that you are pro= moting
> specific non-standard Information and Communications Technology bra= nds on
> your website you are giving Microsoft an unfair advantage over othe= r firms
> that provide spreadsheet and word processing systems.
>
> If documents are something that are part of the CRTC's website, I w= ould
> personally recommend that these documents be made available for dow= nload in
> .pdf format, a format that is a published vendor neutral file forma= t.
>
> Thank you very much for taking the time to read my comments and I w= ould
> appreciate a response as to the CRTC's position on the issues that = I have
> raised in this email.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Mathieu Allard