A Tokyo district court has ruled that the human voice is legally protected under publicity rights, marking a landmark decision in a case involving a prominent Japanese voice actor and AI-generated content on TikTok. The ruling comes after Kenjiro Tsuda, best known for voicing the character Kento Nanami in the anime series *Jujutsu Kaisen*, filed a lawsuit against TikTok over an anonymous account that allegedly cloned his distinctive “lustrous” baritone voice using artificial intelligence.
The disputed TikTok account posted 188 videos between July 2024 and September 2025, featuring AI-generated speech narrating urban legends, occult topics, and conspiracy theories. The account reportedly amassed over 200,000 subscribers and was estimated in legal filings to have earned between ¥75,000 and ¥500,000 in monthly revenue. Tsuda’s legal team described the content as “sordid” and argued that its popularity stemmed largely from the use of a voice that closely resembled his own, violating his rights.
Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi stated that the unauthorized use of a performer’s voice can constitute an infringement on publicity rights, which protect an individual’s ability to control and profit from aspects of their identity. The court emphasized that a voice, “as symbolic of one’s personality as portraits are,” should receive similar protections when used for commercial advantage. However, the court declined Tsuda’s request to compel TikTok to remove the videos, noting that the user had deleted the content shortly after the lawsuit was filed in November 2025.
TikTok responded to the ruling by expressing respect for the court’s decision and indicated it would review the details before determining next steps. The platform highlighted its ongoing commitment to balancing technological innovation with rights protection.
The case is viewed as the first in Japan to recognize voice as a protected element under publicity rights in the context of AI replication. It has drawn significant attention amid growing concerns within Japan’s voice acting community. Many voice actors, who achieve celebrity status through their roles in anime and other media, fear that AI-driven voice mimicry could threaten their careers and the broader industry. Yuko Sasaki, executive director of the Japan Actors Union, underscored that an actor’s voice represents years of dedicated training and craftsmanship.
In 2024, actors in Japan launched the “No More” campaign to oppose unauthorized uses of their faces and voices in AI-generated content, highlighting the urgency of addressing legal and ethical challenges ushered in by advances in artificial intelligence.