For better or worse it's only dead in the same sense that the "relational model" is dead - as a research topic. It's certainly alive in the real world where it's more properly used as an interchange format. E.g. The IRS's MeF[1]. It's also finding interesting adoption in other industries[2].

1- http://www.irs.gov/uac/Modernized-e-File-(MeF)-Program-Infor...

2- http://www.service-architecture.com/xml/articles/oil_and_gas...