Microsoft’s "Open Specification Promise" is explicitly re-stricted to only "the required portions of the Covered Specification" (emphasis added). While this promise may be valuable with regard to specifications that de-clare all of the important functionality as required and only unimportant additions as optional, in DIS 29500 sections 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 clearly (and in fact appropri-ately) describe most of the functionality provided by DIS 29500 as optional rather than required for a conforming implementation. Established: MS is offering at least RAND conditions. Rejected: The claim that MS failed to provide the patent information was rejected.

Microsoft should publish a stronger "open specifi-cation promise" which is not limited to only the "required" portions of covered specifications.

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Proposed Disposition of DIS 29500 Comment CH-0003 (Modified: 2008-01-09) Microsoft’s Open Specification Promise is not “ explicitly restricted “ to only "the required portions of the Covered Specification". The language of that promise applies its terms not only to the required portions of the specification which must be implemented, but also to the required elements of the optional portions of the specification. See the Microsoft OSP at http://www.microsoft.com/interop/osp where the relevant text relating to optional portions is contained under the following bold heading: Covered Specifications (the promise applies individually to each of these specifications) This promise applies to the identified version of the following specifications. New versions of previously covered specifications will be separately considered for addition to the list. In connection with the specifications listed below, this Promise also applies to the required elements of optional portions of such specifications.