Clash of the titans: Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft under ... · Clash of the titans: Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft under fire at IT pricing inquiry

Clash of the titans: Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft under fire at IT pricing inquiry

http://theconversation.com/clash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878[22/03/2013 4:34:29 PM]

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Clash of the titans: Apple,Adobe, and Microsoft underfire at IT pricing inquiry

22 March 2013, 3.39pm AEST

AUTHOR

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Dr Matthew Rimmer is an AustralianResearch Council Future Fellow, working onIntellectual Property and Climate Change. Heis an associate professor at the ANU Collegeof Law, an associate director of the AustralianCentre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture(ACIPA), and a member of the ANU ClimateChange Institute. Dr Matthew Rimmerreceives funding as an Australian ResearchCouncil Future Fellow working on "IntellectualProperty and Climate Change: InventingClean Technologies" and a chief investigatorin an Australian Research Council DiscoveryProject, “Promoting Plant Innovation inAustralia”.

The Conversation is funded by CSIRO,Melbourne, Monash, RMIT, UTS, UWA,Canberra, CDU, Deakin, Flinders, Griffith, LaTrobe, Massey, Murdoch, Newcastle. QUT,Swinburne, UniSA, USC, USQ, UTAS, UWSand VU.

Today, an Australian parliamentary committee grilled the IT

titans – Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft – on price discrimination

against Australian consumers. The IT companies were

evasive under questioning.

The House of Representatives Committee on

Infrastructure and Communications issued a summons to

Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft to appear before the

Parliament.

The Committee is investigating the impacts of prices charged

to Australian consumers for IT products. The Committee has

been examining claims by consumer advocates CHOICE

Australia and the Australian Communications Consumer

Action Network that Australian consumers have been the

victims of price gouging.

TAGS

Software, IT pricing

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Microsoft, along with Adobe and Apple, faced a parliamentary committee about pricediscrimination of IT products. AAP

Matthew RimmerARC Future Fellow andAssociate Professor inIntellectual Property

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Choice Australia talks about IT Price Discrimination: Sunrise

Choice Australia talks about IT Price Discrimination: The Today Show

The inquiry into IT pricing has grown into a larger public

debate about copyright law, consumer rights, and competition

in the digital economy. Harrison Polites has observed that

the Labor member for Chifley, Ed Husic, has transformed the

inquiry into “a debate in microeconomics that has significant

implications for Australia’s national economy”.

Apple’s cloak of invisibility

Husic has said that Apple has sought to hide under “a cloak

of invisibility” in a number of Australian policy debates.

With some reluctance, Apple’s written submission was

published. At the IT pricing inquiry, Apple Australia vice-

president Tony King blamed copyright rights-holders for

price discrimination in Australia. However, the relationship

8 March 2013Big fine for a brokenpromise: Microsoft’santitrust breach puts techfirms on notice

27 February 2013Smash the machine: digitalmonopolies havetrapped you

23 November 2012When the price is not right:technology price gougingin Australia

21 December 2011Something about Siri: hasthe iPhone virtual assistantbecome the Apple ofour eye?

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/2/12/business-spectator/technology-spectator-tech-giants-face-music#ixzz2O39Uylighttp://www.adelaidenow.com.au/technology/smartphones/apple-to-be-slapped-with-hefty-tax-bill-by-ato/story-fn5tich0-1226571571083http://theconversation.com/h//www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ic/itpricing/subs/sub062.pdfhttp://theconversation.com/h//www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ic/itpricing/subs/sub062.pdfhttp://www.itnews.com.au/News/337434,apple-australia-passes-the-buck-in-price-inquiry.aspxhttp://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/apple-blames-rights-holders-for-70-markups-20130322-2gjkr.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/apple-blames-rights-holders-for-70-markups-20130322-2gjkr.htmlhttp://theconversation.com/big-fine-for-a-broken-promise-microsofts-antitrust-breach-puts-tech-firms-on-notice-12683http://theconversation.com/big-fine-for-a-broken-promise-microsofts-antitrust-breach-puts-tech-firms-on-notice-12683http://theconversation.com/big-fine-for-a-broken-promise-microsofts-antitrust-breach-puts-tech-firms-on-notice-12683http://theconversation.com/big-fine-for-a-broken-promise-microsofts-antitrust-breach-puts-tech-firms-on-notice-12683http://theconversation.com/big-fine-for-a-broken-promise-microsofts-antitrust-breach-puts-tech-firms-on-notice-12683http://theconversation.com/big-fine-for-a-broken-promise-microsofts-antitrust-breach-puts-tech-firms-on-notice-12683http://theconversation.com/smash-the-machine-digital-monopolies-have-trapped-you-12496http://theconversation.com/smash-the-machine-digital-monopolies-have-trapped-you-12496http://theconversation.com/smash-the-machine-digital-monopolies-have-trapped-you-12496http://theconversation.com/smash-the-machine-digital-monopolies-have-trapped-you-12496http://theconversation.com/smash-the-machine-digital-monopolies-have-trapped-you-12496http://theconversation.com/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582http://theconversation.com/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582http://theconversation.com/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582http://theconversation.com/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582http://theconversation.com/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582http://theconversation.com/something-about-siri-has-the-iphone-virtual-assistant-become-the-apple-of-our-eye-4817http://theconversation.com/something-about-siri-has-the-iphone-virtual-assistant-become-the-apple-of-our-eye-4817http://theconversation.com/something-about-siri-has-the-iphone-virtual-assistant-become-the-apple-of-our-eye-4817http://theconversation.com/something-about-siri-has-the-iphone-virtual-assistant-become-the-apple-of-our-eye-4817http://theconversation.com/something-about-siri-has-the-iphone-virtual-assistant-become-the-apple-of-our-eye-4817http://theconversation.com/something-about-siri-has-the-iphone-virtual-assistant-become-the-apple-of-our-eye-4817



between Apple and copyright owners has been competitive —

and sometimes collusive.

Apple has been under investigation for its collaboration with

publishers on setting e-book prices both in the United States

and the European Union. Tim Cook, the chief executive of

Apple, has been ordered to testify in the United States

case.

The Department of Justice action against Apple on e-book price fixing

One has to wonder whether Apple has sought to collaborate

copyright owners in price-setting in Australia.

CHOICE Australia has observed disparities in pricing on

iTunes between Australia and the United States. Rihanna’s

latest album Unapologetic costs A$22.99 in the Australian

iTunes store, but only $15.99 in the United States.

Australian fans of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen– such as

the Treasurer Wayne Swan – would pay $AU16.99 for his

Greatest Hits on iTunes, whereas purchasers Born in the USA

would only pay $US11.99. Matthew Levey from CHOICE

Australia wondered: “Why is it costing Australians 70% more

to rock out to AC/DC’s Back in Black on iTunes?”

Parliamentarian Paul Neville was particularly aggrieved about

the high cost of the works of Led Zeppelin on Australia’s

iTunes.

Stephen Jones MP raised questions about whether Apple was

2 November 2011Do patents create softwareinnovation? Computersays no

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-08/apple-ceo-may-testify-in-justice-department-s-e-books-suithttp://t.co/bOyx7Vex2Dhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7068bc16-8c2f-11e2-b001-00144feabdc0.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7068bc16-8c2f-11e2-b001-00144feabdc0.htmlhttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-21/rihanna-costing-49-percent-more-as-australia-probes-apple-musichttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-21/rihanna-costing-49-percent-more-as-australia-probes-apple-musichttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-21/rihanna-costing-49-percent-more-as-australia-probes-apple-musichttp://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/getting-to-the-bottom-of-great-tech-ripoff-20120803-23krt.htmlhttp://www.news.com.au/technology/biztech/watchdog-choice-has-tough-questions-for-apple-microsoft-and-adobe/story-fn5lic6c-1226602766888http://www.news.com.au/technology/biztech/watchdog-choice-has-tough-questions-for-apple-microsoft-and-adobe/story-fn5lic6c-1226602766888http://theconversation.com/do-patents-create-software-innovation-computer-says-no-3808http://theconversation.com/do-patents-create-software-innovation-computer-says-no-3808http://theconversation.com/do-patents-create-software-innovation-computer-says-no-3808http://theconversation.com/do-patents-create-software-innovation-computer-says-no-3808http://theconversation.com/do-patents-create-software-innovation-computer-says-no-3808



a dominant market power in the IT field, much like Woolworths

in agriculture. King denied that Apple was like Woolworths.

He suggested that Apple was comparable to JB Hi-Fi, much

to the scepticism of the committee.

Adobe’s acrobatics

In contrast to Apple, Adobe sought to deflect criticism of its

pricing in the Australian policy debate.

Adobe’s managing director Paul Robson appeared before

the committee, and failed to justify why Australian

consumers paid higher prices for software. At one point, he

suggested Australians could fly to the United States, if

they wanted cheaper prices of boxed Adobe products.

Elsewhere, Adobe’s chief executive, Shantanu Narayen, has

defended the software prices in Australia. He has

maintained: “You always have to look at different pricing in

different regions and we do the research just like other

companies … We look at the appropriate pricing and the

value associated with products everywhere.”

Under pressure, Adobe announced that it would cut its

Australian prices in respect of cloud-based software services

the Creative Cloud.

However, Adobe has come under attack for making token

concessions in the IT Pricing debate. Such statements

have been seen as a public relations smokescreen.

Adobe CEO refuses to answer Australian pricing questions

CHOICE Australia CEO Alan Kirkland said: “If Adobe was

genuine about treating consumers fairly, it would have

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ic/itpricing/subs/sub081.pdfhttp://t.co/86lIQHji75http://t.co/86lIQHji75http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/no-good-answer-on-the-great-aussie-rip-off/story-fnh4jt62-1226603328421http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/457033/adobe_fly_us_cheaper_software/http://www.afr.com/p/technology/tech_giants_will_have_to_cut_prices_daDpoGUkeNPlmAKglJC5NLhttp://www.afr.com/p/technology/tech_giants_will_have_to_cut_prices_daDpoGUkeNPlmAKglJC5NLhttp://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/2/13/technology/adobe-cloud-product-price-drop-sees-australians-pay-slightly-less-ushttp://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/2/15/business-spectator/technology-spectator-adobes-pricing-smokescreenhttp://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/2/15/business-spectator/technology-spectator-adobes-pricing-smokescreenhttp://www.choice.com.au/media-and-news/consumer-news/news/parliament-summons-tech-giants.aspx



reduced prices across all of its products.”

Adobe has been reliant upon technological protection

measures, digital locks, and geoblocking. Husic suggested

that Adobe took a medieval approach to IT pricing, with

“regional fiefdoms”. Stephen Jones MP commented that

Adobe “digitally handcuffed” its consumers.

Adobe threatened that if geoblocking was prohibited in

Australia, it would reconsider its willingness to invest in local

IT.

The Microsoft monopoly

The United States multinational software company Microsoft –

founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen – made a written

submission to the inquiry. Microsoft’s Pip Marlow

appeared before the inquiry.

CHOICE Australia has been damning about prices charged

by Microsoftin Australia compared to the United States:

“Software is another product that is broadly the same

regardless of where it is sold, yet still attracts price

differentials.” Microsoft’s Office Professional 2013 software

package costs A$599 to download in Australia, but merely

$399.99 at the United States Web store.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ic/itpricing/subs/sub067.pdfhttp://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ic/itpricing/subs/sub067.pdfhttp://www.itnews.com.au/News/337464,microsoft-to-aussies-well-charge-what-you-can-bear.aspxhttp://www.itnews.com.au/News/337464,microsoft-to-aussies-well-charge-what-you-can-bear.aspxhttp://www.choice.com.au/media-and-news/consumer-news/news/choice-lodges-submission-on-it-price-discrimination.aspxhttp://www.choice.com.au/media-and-news/consumer-news/news/choice-lodges-submission-on-it-price-discrimination.aspxhttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-21/rihanna-costing-49-percent-more-as-australia-probes-apple-musichttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-21/rihanna-costing-49-percent-more-as-australia-probes-apple-music



CHOICE Australia: How Does Price Discrimination Work?

Microsoft has been unapologetic about its price discrimination

in relation to its services. The company maintains that “the

costs of providing the services – including establishing,

maintaining, supporting and advertising the services – needs

to be recovered and a profit from those operations derived, in

order to contribute to the overall return on the company’s

investment”.

Microsoft has long been an intellectual property maximalist,

both in terms of litigation and policy debates. Along with

Adobe, Microsoft is currently suing a Dubbo radio station

for copyright infringement, with the accusatory rhetoric of

“software piracy”.

Law reform

Given the great public interest in the inquiry into IT pricing, it

will be striking to see whether the Committee will respond to

proposed legislative action to address geo-pricing and geo-

blocking.

http://www.youngwitness.com.au/story/1366172/court-action-for-radio-stations/?cs=12https://theconversation.edu.au/when-the-price-is-not-right-technology-price-gouging-in-australia-10582



The inquiry has highlighted the need for copyright law reform

to protect the interests of consumers. In the wake of the

March 2013 case of Kirtsaeng vs John Wiley & Sons,

there is a need to reconsider Australia’s ancient parallel

importation restrictions.

Similarly, there is a need to revise the copyright laws

regarding digital locks – technological protection measures.

Digital locks have had many unintended consequences–

including jeopardizing consumer rights, chilling free

expression and scientific research, and impeding innovation

and competition. The author Cory Doctorow has been an

eloquent critic of digital locks:

Cory Doctorow on digital locks

In a piece for Wired, Kyle Wiens wrote that there was a need

for real copyright law reform to unlock content. “Copyright is

impacting more people than ever before because the line

between hardware and software, physical and digital has

blurred … once we buy an object — any object — we should

own it.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

(ACCC) has been impressive during the debate over IT

pricing in Australia.

The chairman of the ACCC, Rod Sims, has observed that

his agency will take action if there is evidence of violations of

Australian consumer law or competition law. He has observed:

“If we can find one where we think the representation made

looks to be significantly divorced from reality and we think it’s

one of general use, then we’ll certainly take action".

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/kirtsaeng-v-john-wiley-sons-inc/http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/kirtsaeng-v-john-wiley-sons-inc/http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/kirtsaeng-v-john-wiley-sons-inc/http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/kirtsaeng-v-john-wiley-sons-inc/http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/kirtsaeng-v-john-wiley-sons-inc/https://www.eff.org/pages/unintended-consequences-fifteen-years-under-dmcahttp://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/03/you-dont-own-your-cellphones-or-your-cars/http://www.afr.com/p/technology/accc_to_fight_tech_vendors_9wEo3HsjuRgdZfTHohQ4WOhttp://www.afr.com/p/technology/accc_to_fight_tech_vendors_9wEo3HsjuRgdZfTHohQ4WO



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However, some of the government departments and agencies

seemed somewhat apathetic about the topic of IT pricing, and

lacking initiative in formulating policy responses – which is

disappointing, given the great public interest in the subject.

Ultimately, the inquiry into IT Pricing will be judged by the

efficacy of its outcomes – whether they have an instrumental

impact in lowering the prices of copyright works in Australia.

International trade

The inquiry into IT pricing, and the interrogation of Apple,

Adobe, and Microsoft, has generated much domestic and

international interest.

There has been much interest in New Zealand as to whether

there should be a similar inquiry into IT pricing.

Northwestern University law students from Chicago have

flown from the United States to follow the inquiry. International

press agencies – like Bloomberg and the BBC – have

sought to cover the public grilling of the IT titans.

The inquiry has also raised questions as to the impact of the

Trans-Pacific Partnership upon consumer rights. The United

States Trade Representative’s controversial proposed ban on

parallel importation in that agreement runs counter to both

recent United States precedent, and the Australian inquiry

into IT pricing.

http://theconversation.com/aarons-army-fights-the-trans-pacific-partnership-12273http://theconversation.com/aarons-army-fights-the-trans-pacific-partnership-12273http://theconversation.com/aarons-army-fights-the-trans-pacific-partnership-12273http://theconversation.com/aarons-army-fights-the-trans-pacific-partnership-12273http://theconversation.com/future-fund-drops-tobacco-should-fossil-fuels-be-next-12337http://theconversation.com/future-fund-drops-tobacco-should-fossil-fuels-be-next-12337http://theconversation.com/the-two-treaties-obama-trade-and-the-state-of-the-union-12197http://theconversation.com/the-two-treaties-obama-trade-and-the-state-of-the-union-12197http://theconversation.com/the-doha-deadlock-intellectual-property-and-climate-change-11244http://theconversation.com/the-doha-deadlock-intellectual-property-and-climate-change-11244http://theconversation.com/trade-war-in-the-pacific-asean-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-10937http://theconversation.com/trade-war-in-the-pacific-asean-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-10937http://theconversation.com/trade-war-in-the-pacific-asean-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-10937http://theconversation.com/trade-war-in-the-pacific-asean-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-10937http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/8432980/Aussie-MPs-to-grill-tech-barons-on-gouginghttp://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/8432980/Aussie-MPs-to-grill-tech-barons-on-gouginghttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-21/rihanna-costing-49-more-as-australia-probes-apple-music.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21406745http://keionline.org/node/1686http://theconversation.com/sign_in?return_to=%2Fclash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878http://theconversation.com/sign_in?return_to=%2Fclash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878mailto:?body=Hi%0A%0AI%20found%20this%20article%20on%20http%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%20that%20you%20might%20like%3A%20%22Clash%20of%20the%20titans%3A%20Apple%2C%20Adobe%2C%20and%20Microsoft%20under%20fire%20at%20IT%20pricing%20inquiry%22%20%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fclash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878&subject=Clash%20of%20the%20titans%3A%20Apple%2C%20Adobe%2C%20and%20Microsoft%20under%20fire%20at%20IT%20pricing%20inquirymailto:?body=Hi%0A%0AI%20found%20this%20article%20on%20http%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%20that%20you%20might%20like%3A%20%22Clash%20of%20the%20titans%3A%20Apple%2C%20Adobe%2C%20and%20Microsoft%20under%20fire%20at%20IT%20pricing%20inquiry%22%20%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fclash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878&subject=Clash%20of%20the%20titans%3A%20Apple%2C%20Adobe%2C%20and%20Microsoft%20under%20fire%20at%20IT%20pricing%20inquiryhttp://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Clash+of+the+titans%3A+Apple%2C+Adobe%2C+and+Microsoft+under+fire+at+IT+pricing+inquiry&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fclash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878&utm_campaign=article-bottom&utm_medium=tweetbutton&utm_source=twitter&via=conversationeduhttp://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Clash+of+the+titans%3A+Apple%2C+Adobe%2C+and+Microsoft+under+fire+at+IT+pricing+inquiry&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fclash-of-the-titans-apple-adobe-and-microsoft-under-fire-at-it-pricing-inquiry-12878&utm_campaign=article-bottom&utm_medium=tweetbutton&utm_source=twitter&via=conversationedu



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I would have loved to see the same companies grilled over transfer pricing. Imay be out on a limb here, but I can't help wondering if the complaint aboutlocalized cost of support and sales equates to where they declare the incomethey are earning.

As regards digitally downloaded IPR like s/w, its a complete phurphy. We didn'task to be taken to http://mumble/au to buy, we would have quite happily boughtdirect from http://mumble/us even in $USD, and paid the horrendous visa cardrate: we'd still be ahead.

The ironies of the AUD/USD rate being in our favour ...

George MichaelsonPerson

• report24 minutes ago

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