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Tokyo Court recognizes voice as protected right in landmark AI case
The Tokyo District Court has issued a landmark ruling recognizing that a person's voice is protected under publicity rights, similar to their physical likeness. This decision marks the first time a Japanese court has established such a precedent regarding the legal protection of human voices against unauthorized use.
The case was brought by popular anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, known for his role in ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’. Tsuda sued TikTok's operator, alleging that an anonymous account used generative AI to create an imitation of his distinctive baritone voice. The account reportedly posted at least 188 videos featuring the AI-generated voice to narrate content about urban legends and the occult, earning an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 yen per month.
While the court acknowledged that unauthorized use of a voice to exploit its commercial appeal constitutes an infringement of publicity rights, it dismissed Tsuda's specific request to have the videos deleted. The dismissal was based on the fact that the account and its content had already been removed from the platform prior to the ruling.
The ruling follows recent interpretive guidelines published by Japan's Ministry of Justice in August 2026, which suggested that using voices that mimic real people for profit on social media could be considered a rights violation.
Entities
Japan · Jujutsu Kaisen · Kenjiro Tsuda · Ministry of Justice · TikTok · Tokyo District Court
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 11 SOURCES] Voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda filed a lawsuit against TikTok's operator alleging the unauthorized use of AI-generated imitations of his voice. www.itmedia.co.jp · www.adnkronos.com · news.cube-soft.jp · www.japantimes.co.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com · +5 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The court dismissed Kenjiro Tsuda's request for TikTok to delete the videos because the content had already been removed. www.itmedia.co.jp · www.adnkronos.com · news.cube-soft.jp · www.japantimes.co.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com · +5 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The account responsible for the videos had over 210,000 followers. www.itmedia.co.jp · www.adnkronos.com · news.cube-soft.jp · www.japantimes.co.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com
- [DISPUTED] An anonymous account posted at least 188 videos using a voice mimicking Tsuda between July 2024 and September 2025. www.itmedia.co.jp · www.adnkronos.com · news.cube-soft.jp · www.japantimes.co.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com · +3 more
- [DISPUTED] Japan's Ministry of Justice published interpretive guidelines in August 2026 regarding voice rights and generative AI. www.itmedia.co.jp · fourweekmba.com · news.cube-soft.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com · unwire.hk
- [● 5 SOURCES] TikTok's operator argued the audio was a generic male voice and that the user claimed to have trained the AI on a friend's voice. www.itmedia.co.jp · news.cube-soft.jp · www.indulgexpress.com · www.sondakika.com · unwire.hk
- [● 6 SOURCES] The creator of the videos reportedly earned between 500,000 and 750,000 yen per month from the content. www.itmedia.co.jp · news.cube-soft.jp · www.japantimes.co.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com · www.adnkronos.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] The Tokyo District Court ruled that a person's voice can be protected under publicity rights, similar to an individual's likeness. www.itmedia.co.jp · www.adnkronos.com · news.cube-soft.jp · www.japantimes.co.jp · prokalteng.jawapos.com · +5 more