Tokyo court rules the human voice is protected, in a TikTok AI clone case
A Tokyo court ruled on Wednesday that Japanese law protects the human voice. Anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda had sued TikTok over videos he says used an AI clone of his voice. He won in part, as the court turned down his request to remove the videos, Agence France-Presse reported.
AFP believes the lawsuit is the first in Japan to defend 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.
“The unauthorised use of a performer’s voice … can be considered an infringement on publicity rights,” said Judge Aya Takahashi.
What the court decided
Publicity rights let people control and profit from aspects of their identity. The Tokyo district court found that they cover a voice when someone uses it purely for its commercial appeal. Takahashi, who presided, compared a voice to a portrait as a symbol...
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