Apple, Microsoft, and Adobe have all been summoned to appear before a pricing inquiry regarding the higher prices Australian consumers have to pay for tech goods compared to those of other economies. Here’s what the lower house committee had to say in a statement:

“The committee is looking at the impacts of prices charged to Australian consumers for IT products. Australian consumers often pay much higher prices for hardware and software than people in other countries.”

This pricing inquiry was set up to examine consumer advocacy groups claims of price discrimination for Australians on technology, music, games, software, and gaming and computer hardware.

Consumer lobby group Choice  says that Australians pay 73 percent more on iTunes downloads than the United States on average, 69 percent more on computer products and a ridiculous 232 percent more on PC game downloads. Office software is 34 more percent more expensive, and hardware is 41 percent more expensive.

Apple and Microsoft have made submissions to the committee and argue that freight, local taxes and duties, and foreign exchange rates are all factors that make prices different across different jurisdictions. Representing Adobe is the Australian Information Industry Association, and they have submitted to the committee that the  “costs of doing business in Australia are higher than in many other countries.”

[via ABS-CBN, image via Rodrigo Gianesi]