A Tokyo District Court on Wednesday issued a landmark decision that a human voice can be protected under Japan’s publicity‑rights law. The ruling came from a lawsuit filed by well‑known anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, whose deep, baritone voice is famous for characters such as Kento Nanami in the hit series Jujutsu Kaisen.
Case background
Tsuda sued the anonymous operator of a TikTok account called “Nanami,” alleging that the channel used an AI‑generated clone of his voice to narrate more than 180 videos about urban legends and paranormal phenomena. The account had amassed over 200,000 subscribers by November 2025, and many viewers noted the striking similarity to Tsuda’s trademark voice.
In his complaint, Tsuda argued that the unauthorized use was intended to profit from the commercial appeal of his voice and therefore constituted an infringement of his publicity rights.
Court’s reasoning
Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi wrote that “the human voice is symbolic of individual personality, just like one’s portrait,” and that exploiting Tsuda’s voice without permission was a clear violation of his publicity rights. The court’s decision is the first in Japan to formally recognize a person’s voice as a protectable element of personal identity.
While the judge dismissed Tsuda’s request to have all the videos removed—because the TikTok account had already been shut down—the ruling nonetheless establishes a legal precedent that could shape future disputes over AI‑generated voice clones.
Industry context
The case arrives amid growing concern among Japanese voice actors about AI‑driven replication of their trademark voices. In 2024, OpenAI halted the use of one of its ChatGPT voices after actress Scarlett Johansson claimed it sounded “eerily similar” to her own. Last year, Oscar‑winning actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey signed agreements with voice‑cloning firm ElevenLabs, allowing the company to replicate their voices under controlled conditions.
Legal experts say the Tokyo ruling may prompt other creators—actors, singers, and public figures—to seek similar protections, potentially influencing how platforms and AI developers handle voice‑cloning technology.
What’s next?
Although the specific TikTok channel has been closed, the decision signals that Japanese courts are willing to extend publicity‑rights protections to intangible personal attributes like voice. Stakeholders in the entertainment industry, AI developers, and social‑media platforms will likely monitor how the precedent is applied in future cases.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
