Photo Credit: Matthias Wagner
A Japanese court has ruled that voice is a protected publicity right in the first ruling of its kind in the country.
On Wednesday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that voices are a protected publicity right in the first ruling of its kind in the country. However, the court dismissed the request by voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda for TikTok to remove videos narrated using an AI-based voice that he claimed was based on his own. Tsuda is a well-known voice actor in the popular anime “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
Tsuda’s lawsuit claimed that an anonymous poster uploaded nearly 200 videos between July 2024 and September 2025 about myths and urban legends that were narrated by an AI voice that sounded remarkably similar to Tsuda’s own. The voice actor claimed that the use of a voice that sounded like his was deliberate and misled viewers. The person who uploaded the videos was allegedly earning between 500,000 and 750,000 yen ($3,200 to $4,800) each month.
While Japan doesn’t have laws to clearly stipulate voice rights, the Justice Ministry recently laid out guidelines establishing that videos uploaded to social media that use voices meant to sound like those of real people—and generating revenue from them—could constitute a violation of publicity rights.
According to TikTok representatives, the narration in question used a “generic male voice” that would not be mistaken for Tsuda. The individual who uploaded the videos claimed the AI was trained using the voice of a friend.
The Japan Actors Union previously said it supported Tsuda’s claim “wholeheartedly.” Executive Director Yuko Sasaki said that an actor’s voice is “the result of years of rigorous training and apprenticeship” and that the court should “acknowledge that ownership of a voice is a fundamental right.”
The court, meanwhile, has agreed with that sentiment but opted not to take any action against TikTok for the allegedly offending content. TikTok argued that the lawsuit lacked merit, as the account had been deleted by June 29, which certainly had an impact on the court’s decision.
Regardless of the outcome, Tsuda, who is also known for voicing characters in the “Yu-Gi-Oh!” franchise, has become Japan’s first voice actor to take a major company to court over the alleged AI cloning of his voice. As AI tools become more sophisticated, he undoubtedly won’t be the last.
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