The first time I read about this I got a smile on my face. This is what the headlines were: Australia is investigating why its software and downloads are more expensive than that of United States. The Australian government is investigating the price of downloads and software in the country, as it bids to understand why companies charge Australian customers more than those in the US and elsewhere.
The House of Representatives is finalising that what the inquiry terms will be which is scheduled to begin later this year, reports The Age (via CNet). MP Ed Husic, who is a member of investigating committee, heralded the probe as a landmark move to call firms to account for the pricing. ”People here scratch their heads trying to work out why they get fleeced on software downloads,” he said. ”When the Productivity Commission asked IT companies why they charge so much for downloads, even they found the answers were not persuasive.”
The new report is likely to see prices from Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and others thrust under the limelight with pressure potentially applied to bring costs in line with the US and other markets, if a clear case for raised prices cannot be established. “‘As time rolls on, every single one of the Australian arms of those global companies will realise that Australian consumers are getting their products elsewhere,” Long told The Age. “‘People are already setting up, in droves, addresses in the US just so they are able to download a piece of American software at American prices.”
