@Override
  public InputStream getOntology(String syntax) throws IOException {
    InputStream is;
    JenaBeanExtension jbe;

    // check the validity of user request on serialization syntax
    if (syntax == null
        || syntax.equalsIgnoreCase("owl")
        || syntax.equalsIgnoreCase(Syntax.RDF_XML_ABBREV)) syntax = Syntax.RDF_XML;
    syntax = syntax.toUpperCase();

    // get the ontology document in required syntax
    lock.readLock().lock();
    InputStream fileIn = new FileInputStream(ontologyFile);
    if (!syntax.equals(Syntax.RDF_XML)) {
      jbe = new JenaBeanExtensionTool();
      jbe.loadStatements(fileIn, Syntax.RDF_XML);
      fileIn.close();
      lock.readLock().unlock();
      is = jbe.getOntologyDocument(syntax);
    } else {
      is = new ByteArrayInputStream(toByteArray(fileIn));
      fileIn.close();
      lock.readLock().unlock();
    }

    return is;
  }