Tokyo Court Rules AI-Cloned Actor’s Voice Violated Publicity Rights

Summary

A Tokyo district court has ruled that a person’s voice can receive protection under publicity rights, in a case brought by actor Kenjiro Tsuda over AI-generated TikTok videos. Tsuda, known for voicing Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, said an anonymous account used a cloned version of his distinctive baritone in 188 videos posted between July 2024 and September 2025. The account used images resembling his anime character and published AI-narrated material about urban legends, occult subjects and conspiracy theories. It reportedly reached more than 200,000 subscribers, with the legal complaint estimating monthly revenue of ¥500,000 to ¥75,000, though the article gives no clarification for the unusual range. Tsuda’s lawyers argued that the account attracted attention through the unauthorized use of his voice, while TikTok said the recordings were a generic male voice and that similarities were subjective. Presiding judge Aya Takahashi said unauthorized use of a performer’s voice may infringe publicity rights when the purpose is exclusively to exploit its commercial appeal, describing a voice as symbolic of personality in the same way as a portrait. The court rejected Tsuda’s request to remove the videos because the account operator had deleted them shortly after the lawsuit was filed in November 2025. The ruling is described as Japan’s first recognizing the human voice as protected under publicity rights, a decision likely to be closely watched by voice actors concerned about AI mimicry and their livelihoods. TikTok said it would respect the judgment while reviewing its implications. Japanese actors launched a “No More” campaign in 2024 against unauthorized AI use of faces and voices.