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When questioned about whether Apple, Microsoft and Co could be forced to lower their prices if found to be ‘price gouging,” which is currently being investigated by a parliamentary IT pricing inquiry, Committee Chair Nick Champion told SmartHouse: “We can’t prejudge things and don’t want to reach any conclusions before the companies give evidence.” But it looks like the inquiry may not have to. It emerged this morning that software giant Adobe has lowered pricing on some of its products including its Creative cloud subscription service in Australia by 20 percent, just one day after being summoned to answer to the pricing inquiry by the House Committee on Infrastructure and Communications on March 22, along with Apple and Microsoft. Read: Adobe Finally Slashes Their Prices After Gouging For Years The US giant has also slashed the price of a monthly subscription to Adobe’s Creative Suite 6 services – which includes its page layout program PhotoShop and InDesign – from A$62.99 to $50. This brings it into line with the American price of $US49.99. The Australia Industry Group (AiG) and the Information Industry Association (AIIA), which represents giants Adobe, Microsoft and Co, blamed the “cost of doing business in Australia” for the higher Aussie prices compared to the US, including high labour costs, rent, shipping and transport And could other companies be called to answer before the IT pricing inquiry, which is examining the alleged price gouging by giants like Apple, Microsoft and Adobe? “It is a matter for the committee”, said Committee Chair, Nick Champion, when asked whether or not other tech companies like Sony, Miele and Canon, could be called before the Inquiry into IT Pricing. “We will hear evidence from the companies and issue a report,” Champion told SmartHouse yesterday. “We will find out the justifications for the prices. ” |
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| Labor MP for Chifley Ed Husic, who has championed the cause against inflated IT goods in Oz, was not available for comment at the time of writing.
The committee will soon issue a draft programme of what exactly it will ask Apple and Co when they stand on March 22 next, which should make for interesting reading. |
