# Legal disputes over AI voice cloning > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/legal-disputes-over-ai-voice-cloning > Updated: 2026-10-02T11:07:08.000Z. Sources: 30. Developments: 4. Legal actions regarding AI-generated voice cloning have emerged in both China and Japan, targeting the unauthorized use of distinct vocal identities. In Shanghai, the Pudong New Area People's Court ruled in favor of game developer miHoYo, ordering an AI service provider to pay 750,000 yuan. The court found the provider had cloned the voices of 63 ‘Genshin Impact’ characters using unauthorized audio. The court rejected defense arguments regarding data training and actor rights, determining that the AI-generated sounds possessed “almost identical characteristics” to the originals and constituted unfair competition. In Japan, voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda filed a lawsuit against TikTok to protect his vocal identity. Tsuda, known for roles in franchises such as ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’, sought the removal of videos from an anonymous account that used an AI-generated voice imitating his distinctively ‘deep’ and ‘lustrous’ baritone to discuss urban legends and conspiracy theories. The account, which had over 210,000 followers, reportedly generated between 500,000 and 750,000 yen per month. In a landmark decision, the Tokyo District Court recognized that a person's voice can be protected under publicity rights, marking the first time a Japanese court has determined the commercial value of a human voice. Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi stated that the human voice is a “symbol of the individual's personality,” comparable to a person's portrait. The court found that using such a voice without permission to exploit its commercial appeal constitutes an infringement of publicity rights. However, the court did not order specific economic damages because the TikTok account had already been deleted prior to the verdict. ## Claims - The court dismissed Kenjiro Tsuda's request for TikTok to delete the videos because the content had already been removed. (disputed by 11 sources) - An anonymous account posted at least 188 videos using a voice mimicking Tsuda between July 2024 and September 2025. (disputed by 9 sources) - Japan's Ministry of Justice published interpretive guidelines in August 2026 regarding voice rights and generative AI. (disputed by 5 sources) - The court dismissed the request to remove the videos because the responsible TikTok account had already been deleted. (disputed) - The Tokyo District Court ruled that a person's voice can be protected under publicity rights, similar to an individual's likeness. (corroborated by 11 sources) - Voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda filed a lawsuit against TikTok's operator alleging the unauthorized use of AI-generated imitations of his voice. (corroborated by 11 sources) - The account responsible for the videos had over 210,000 followers. (corroborated by 6 sources) - The creator of the videos reportedly earned between 500,000 and 750,000 yen per month from the content. (corroborated by 6 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. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Unauthorized use of an AI-cloned voice for commercial appeal constitutes an infringement of publicity rights. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-02: Tokyo Court rules AI voice cloning violates publicity rights A Tokyo court ruled that using AI to clone a person's voice without permission violates publicity rights, a landmark decision following a lawsuit by voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tokyo-court-recognizes-voice-rights-in-landmark-ai-ruling ### 2026-09-30: Tokyo Court recognizes voice as protected right in landmark AI case A Tokyo court ruled that human voices are protected under publicity rights, a landmark decision in a lawsuit by voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda against TikTok over AI-generated voice imitations. 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tokyo-court-recognizes-voice-protection-under-publicity-rights ### 2026-09-27: Kenjiro Tsuda sues TikTok over AI voice cloning Japanese voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda is suing TikTok to protect his vocal identity against AI-generated clones used in viral videos, marking a landmark case for performer rights in Japan. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kenjiro-tsuda-sues-tiktok-over-ai-voice-cloning ### 2026-09-10: miHoYo wins lawsuit against AI service for cloning Genshin Impact voices A Shanghai court ordered an AI service to pay 750,000 yuan to miHoYo for unauthorizedly cloning the voices of 63 Genshin Impact characters using unlicensed audio samples. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mihoyo-wins-lawsuit-against-ai-service-for-cloning-genshin-impact-voices --- Cite as: Legal disputes over AI voice cloning. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/legal-disputes-over-ai-voice-cloning