The spec begins like so:
An Image is an ordered collection of root filesystem changes and the corresponding execution parameters for use within a container runtime. This specification outlines the format of these filesystem changes and corresponding parameters and describes how to create and use them for use with a container runtime and execution tool.
Confusingly, what should be the file's header is included in the final "Implementations" paragraph:
This specification is an admittedly imperfect description of an imperfectly-understood problem. The Docker project is, in turn, an attempt to implement this specification. Our goal and our execution toward it will evolve over time, but our primary concern in this specification and in our implementation is compatibility and interoperability.
This is in response to Rocket's (non-competitive, but similar) App Container Spec.