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

Kenjiro Tsuda wins case against TikTok account in landmark 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 whose AI-generated videos, he claimed, had cloned his “lustrous” baritone voice.


Tokyo district court said on Wednesday that voices 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.

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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/30/ai-tool-copied-actor-kenjiro-tsuda-tokyo-court