AI tool that copied actor’s ‘lustrous’ voice violated his rights, Tokyo court rules
TL;DR
Kenjiro Tsuda wins case against TikTok account in landmark Japanese verdict to protect publicity rights A court in Japan has ruled that the human voice has legal protection after a landmark case involving a well-known actor and a TikTok account that he claimed had cloned his “lustrous” baritone voice in its AI-generated videos. Tokyo district court said on Wednesday that voices should enjoy the same protection as publicity rights, at the end of a closely watched legal action brought against TikTok by Kenjiro Tsuda – best known for voicing the character Kento Nanami in the anime Jujutsu Kaisen.
Nauti's Take
Teams using synthetic voices in content, support, or advertising should document provenance, consent, and usage rights before testing at scale. The key check is whether a real person can be recognisably imitated and which rules apply in the target market, because technical availability does not establish a reliable licensing basis.
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