Japan Court Rules Human Voice Is Protected In TikTok AI Case
The Tokyo District Court has ruled that a person’s voice can be protected under Japan’s publicity rights, following a lawsuit brought by anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda over TikTok videos that allegedly used an AI-generated copy of his distinctive voice. However, the court dismissed Tsuda’s request for the videos to be removed because the account […] The post Japan Court Rules Human Voice Is…
The Tokyo District Court has ruled that a person's voice can be protected under Japan's publicity rights, following a lawsuit brought by anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda over TikTok videos allegedly using an AI-generated copy of his distinctive voice. However, the court dismissed Tsuda's request for the videos to be removed as the account behind them had already taken the content down.
The decision highlights growing concerns among Japanese voice actors over AI-generated replicas of their voices, with the Japan Actors Union launching a campaign against the unauthorized use of performers' voices and likenesses in generative AI content. The court ruled that a voice can fall under publicity rights when used primarily to take advantage of its commercial appeal, and this ruling marks Japan's first lawsuit seeking to protect an individual's vocal identity against AI-generated copies.
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