A wholesaler of household goods, Mayvic Pty Ltd has withdrawn "authentic" Aboriginal rock art magnets from sale after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission raised concerns about the product's authenticity.
The ACCC was concerned that promoting the product as "Authentic Aboriginal Art" was likely to create the false or misleading impression that the product was an authentic Aboriginal artwork, when this was not the case.
Mayvic has acknowledged that its conduct was likely to have breached the Trade Practices Act 1974.
ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said that promoting imitation Aboriginal artworks as authentic undermines the indigenous art industry and impacts on the income of many Aboriginal artists.
"Authenticity is a key concern for buyers of all forms of Aboriginal art," Mr Samuel said.
"Whether businesses are selling expensive fine artworks, small souvenirs or magnets, they must ensure that claims of authenticity are accurate, honest and truthful.
"It is crucial for Aboriginal artists to be able to differentiate their works from imitations and imported products that are not authentic. Consumers also need to be confident that they are getting genuine Aboriginal art when they are purchasing products promoted as being authentic."
Mr Samuel said that the ACCC will continue to take action against businesses at every level of the industry that make false or misleading claims about the authenticity of Aboriginal art.
The ACCC will also continue to raise consumer and community awareness about the importance of this issue and to educate businesses about their obligations under the Act.