IT price report to pave way for cheaper goods Australians should be able to buy technological goods and services from overseas websites when they are cheaper than those sold in Australia, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended. The inquiry into IT pricing heard Australians pay up to double the price paid by overseas buyers for technology products and services, including for digital downloads, software and hardware. In a report published on Monday, the House Committee on Infrastructure and Communications said the government should educate consumers on how to bypass "geo-blocking" measures that prevent them buying cheaper overseas goods. But inquiry chairman Nick Champion said the government can't control prices themselves. "We have no constitutional power to control prices," the Labor MP told Fairfax Media. Instead, he said the inquiry attempted to "foster competitive, dynamic market places" by making recommendations that would allow consumers to more easily buy goods overseas. The report recommended the government amend the Copyright Act's anti-circumvention provisions to "clarify and secure consumers' rights to circumvent technological protection measures." Such measures prevent consumers from purchasing goods from overseas by using geo-blocking, which can identify where an online shopper's PC is located through its IP address and block their ability to purchase goods in other jurisdictions. The report also recommended the government investigate options to educate Australian consumers and businesses about the extent to which they may circumvent geo-blocking mechanisms. As a last resort, the committee recommended the government consider enacting a ban on geo-blocking "should persistent market failure exist." This would be by acting against multinationals that operate in Australia. It also suggested a company's terms of service on its website should be declared void if it attempted to use geo-blocking to prevent consumers from purchasing cheaper goods from another market. Such a mechanism could stop multinational companies with a presence in Australia -such as Adobe, Microsoft and Apple - from selling a product at a higher price in Australia than overseas. Mr Champion said the recommendations, if enacted by government, should reduce prices over time. "This report ... won't suddenly wave a magic wand over prices," he said, "but it might well begin the path to a more competitive market." The Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy, Kate Lundy, said the government would "closely consider the report" and consult widely on its recommendations. "The committee has done valuable work in identifying the extent to which consumers face price discrimination in Australia," she said. Consumer group CHOICE welcomed the recommendations and said they delivered "a clear blueprint to reduce the digital price discrimination faced by Australian consumers."