ISO INTERNATIONAL STANDARD 2709 Fourth edition 2008-07-01 Information and documentation Format for information exchange Information et documentation Format pour I'échange d'information Reference number ISO 2709:2008(E) @ ISO 2008 by IHS under lic Not for Resale ISO 2709:2008(E) PDF disclaimer This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The Iso Central Secretariat accepts no liability in this area. Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by IsO member bodies. In the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below. COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT @ ISO2008 All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, IsO's member body in the country of the requester. ISO copyright office Case postale 56 . CH-1211 Geneva 20 Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11 Fax + 41 22 749 09 47 E-mail copyright@iso.org Web www.iso.org Published in Switzerland Copyrigh Interatinal organization for Standardization IsO 2008-All rights reserved I without license from IHS Not for Resale ISO 2709:2008(E) Foreword IsO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (IsO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through IsO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been non-governmental, in liaison with isO, also take part in the work. IsO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization. International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/lEC Directives, Part 2. The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote. Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. IsO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. ISO 2709 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation, Subcommittee SC 4, Technical interoperability. This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (isO 2709:1996), which has been technically revised ii