00:01He's become a Tasmanian icon, an online sensation and popular visitor.
00:09And now, it seems, people want to cash in.
00:12A website called Neil the Seal Official has advertised merchandise including a $150 hoodie
00:19and a sticker designed by a so-called local artist.
00:23It said it would donate a percentage of its profits to marine conservation in Tasmania.
00:27The website claimed to support three organisations and a government department,
00:32but they say they've never heard of it.
00:35If you're marketing that this is, you know, I'm donating money to conservation groups
00:40and you're not, it's misleading. It's also morally repugnant.
00:45Images of the items on sale contain an imperceptible watermark that originated from open AI,
00:52meaning they were generated by artificial intelligence.
00:55The website said it was operated by a company called Direct Signal,
00:59the Australian business number linking to a business in Western Sydney.
01:03The ABC contacted the director.
01:05He says he was going to donate a percentage of the profits to marine conservation
01:09if he made any money.
01:11He declined to name the local artist involved
01:14and said he could not say if the art was AI generated.
01:17Shortly after, the website was taken down.
01:21Businesses can be fined for misleading consumers.
01:24The ACCC, for example, can't pick up every misleading website,
01:28nor can the State Fair Trading Office.
01:31But the idea is that by prosecuting a few examples,
01:35they're sending a message that you can't engage in misleading conduct in Australia.
01:41What the heck is that?
01:42The ACCC is a message that you can use for a number of reasons.
01:42The ACCC is a message that you can use for a number of reasons.
01:42But the ACCC is a message that you can use for a number of reasons.
01:44You
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