Tokyo Court Rules Human Voice Protected in TikTok AI Clone Case
Publicity rights cover a voice used purely for its commercial appeal, a judge ruled in what is believed to be Japan's first AI voice clone case.
September 30, 2026 - 7:49 pm
Credit: Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda sued TikTok over videos he claimed used an AI clone of his voice. While he didn't win the full case, the court denied his request to remove the videos.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports this is likely Japan's first lawsuit defending a person’s vocal identity against AI-generated copies. Tsuda, 55, voices Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen and has starred in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise.
Key Takeaways from the Ruling
"The unauthorised use of a performer’s voice … can be considered an infringement on publicity rights," said Judge Aya Takahashi. Publicity rights allow individuals to control and profit from aspects of their identity. The court found these rights extend to a voice when used for commercial purposes.
Takahashi compared a voice to a portrait as a symbol of personality. TikTok no longer needs to delete the videos, as the original poster had already taken them down.
Tsuda’s lawyer, Takashi Hirano, described the ruling as a victory for both sides.
The Case Details
A TikTok account posted 188 videos between July 2024 and September 2025, featuring AI-generated narration about urban legends, the occult, and conspiracy theories. The profile picture resembled a Jujutsu Kaisen character voiced by Tsuda. At its peak, the account had over 200,000 followers.
Tsuda claimed the videos would have generated more than ¥500,000 ($3,200) per month due to his celebrity voice. His lawyers argued the account gained popularity only because of Tsuda’s voice.
TikTok countered that the videos used a “generic male voice” and any similarity to Tsuda was subjective.
Broader Implications
This case comes as AI voice cloning becomes easier and more prevalent. Google's Gemini text-to-speech models can clone voices from just 30 seconds of audio, while ElevenLabs, which sells AI voice tools, recently doubled its valuation to $22 billion.
In 2024, Japanese performers launched the campaign "No More" opposing unauthorized use of generative AI to copy them without permission. They argue such cloning could devastate the industry.