OpenType, now more open
In a press release issued today, it was announced that the International Standards Organisation (ISO) is to adopt OpenType as the basis for a new open font format within the MPEG-4 multimedia standard. In practical terms, what I understand this to mean is that the current 4.1 version of the OpenType specification will be adopted as an ISO standard, subject the the same processes for extension and revision as other ISO standards. In other words, Microsoft and Adobe will not own this version of the specification in the same way that they have in the past.
I believe, but am not sure, that this agreement does not cover OpenType Layout features, which are an appendix to the font format specification and are, in a sense, a particular implementation of the format rather than part of the format itself. This means that registering of new layout features would not require an ISO review and balloting process.
15.Aug.2005 10.59am
Erratum: I meant version 1.4, not 4.1
See also discussion in the Build forum: http://typophile.com/node/14602
[I figured this was a general discussion topic, not a Build item.]
15.Aug.2005 11.14am
> This means that registering of new layout features would not require an ISO review and balloting process.
That would certainly make life easier. As mentioned on the other thread the final decision on what’s in the ISO spec and what will be externally referenced is still TBD.