Microsoft Word format is completely ok as transparent copy. You can use it with many Open Source word processors and other utilities.
No, no ,NO!
The definition of a transparent copy as in the FDL (not "Yet Another Definition of Transparent Copy"):
A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy, represented in a format whose specification is available to the general public, whose contents can be viewed and edited directly and straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file format whose markup has been designed to thwart or discourage subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. A copy that is not "Transparent" is called "Opaque".
I do not now if ".doc" specification is available, I doubt it is fully.
But I am sure it connot be edited directly and straightforwardly with generic text editors (as GNU Emacs, Vi or... say Notepad).
Word format is THE archetype of what is an opaque one, specificly designed to trap users' data.
Guillaume Ponce http://www.guillaumeponce.org/