related to OpenSource, but applied to standards such as TCP/IP protocols et al found in the RFCs published by the IETF. The very name of RFCs (RequestForComment) embodies the idea of OpenStandard''''''s. The idea is that anyone that wants to can participate in the developing of a standard and eventually everyone knows the framework to work within for interoperability ''and works within it!''. There is a group currently working on proposals for document standards, the OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) project.  

see: http://www.oasis-open.org

also: http://www.ansi.org/, http://standards.ieee.org/