A Japanese court has issued a landmark decision affirming that human voices merit legal protection under publicity rights frameworks. The ruling came in a case brought by Kenjiro Tsuda, a prominent voice actor known for work in the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen, against a TikTok account operator who allegedly used AI technology to replicate his voice in uploaded videos.
Tsuda claimed that 188 videos posted to the anonymous account between July 2024 and September of last year featured artificial narration derived from his distinctive baritone voice. The TikTok account, which displayed imagery resembling Tsuda’s character, posted content about urban legends, occult topics, and conspiracy theories. At its peak, the account attracted over 200,000 subscribers and generated estimated monthly revenue between ¥500,000 and ¥75,000.
The platform contested the allegations, arguing that the videos contained only a generic male voice and that any resemblance to Tsuda’s voice was subjective in nature. However, Judge Aya Takahashi determined that the unauthorized use of a performer’s voice constitutes an infringement of publicity rights. The judge characterized a voice as deeply symbolic of an individual’s identity, comparable to a portrait. The protection applies when voice usage is intended to exploit its commercial appeal.
The court dismissed Tsuda’s request to remove the videos, noting that the account operator had already deleted them shortly after the lawsuit was filed. The ruling represents the first instance in which a Japanese court has extended publicity rights protection to vocal identity against AI-generated replication. Voice actors in Japan have increasingly raised concerns about artificial voice synthesis threatening their professions and the broader entertainment industry. In 2024, Japanese performers launched a campaign opposing unauthorized use of their faces and voices in AI-generated content. TikTok stated it would respect the judgment while evaluating appropriate responses and continuing efforts to balance technological advancement with rights protection.
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