The whole reason I hoped that the gov'ts of the world would actually do something and vote against the Microsoft standard for Office 2007 was for the same reason.

It's the ISO standard. Microsoft doesn't adhere to it it just paid for it. But it was the respective respected bodies in the ISO community that voted for it.

It's a bit like United States American democracy. It works if you have the money and enough reasons. And everything else is bent in secret. The Saudis and Chemical companies may be pulling the strings but it is the failed lawyers that pass the laws.