AI tool that copied actor’s ‘lustrous’ voice violated his rights, Tokyo court rules

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.