In a legal precedent for AI voice mimicry, the Tokyo District Court has ruled that an individual's human voice is protected under publicity rights. Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi stated that unauthorized usage of a performer's voice can infringe on these rights, comparing the commercial symbol of a voice to an individual's visual portrait.
Voice Actors vs. AI-Generated Content
The lawsuit was brought forward by Japanese voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, known for his role as Kento Nanami in the anime Jujutsu Kaisen. Tsuda targeted an anonymous TikTok account that uploaded 188 videos between July 2024 and September 2025. The videos paired AI-generated narratives discussing urban legends and occult topics with images resembling Tsuda's anime character, drawing over 200,000 subscribers. According to legal filings reported by Kyodo News, the account potentially generated between ¥500,000 and ¥75,000 in monthly revenue.
Tsuda's legal team argued that the videos specifically cloned his distinct baritone voice to gain traction. TikTok operator ByteDance contested the claim, arguing that the content used a generic male voice and that similarity claims were subjective.
Legal Precedent and Platform Injunctions
While the court affirmed that publicity rights apply when a voice is used exclusively for its commercial appeal, it dismissed Tsuda's request to order TikTok to remove the videos. The judge noted that the creator had already deleted the content shortly after the lawsuit was filed in November.
TikTok stated it respects the court's judgment and will review the ruling details to balance legal protections with ongoing technology developments. The judgment marks a key milestone for Japan's performing arts industry, where voice actors have expressed growing concern over generative AI threatening their livelihoods. In 2024, Japanese performers launched the 'No More' campaign to combat the unauthorized commercial use of their voices and likenesses.
AI-generated editorial illustration; not a documentary photograph.
Source: AI tool that copied actor’s ‘lustrous’ voice violated his rights, says Tokyo court
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