Tokyo court rules a person's voice is protected by publicity rights, Japan's first ruling against AI voice clones
On Sept 30, 2026 the Tokyo District Court ruled in voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda's suit over AI-cloned narration on TikTok. It held, for the first time in Japan, that a human voice is protected by the right of publicity, like a portrait, when it is used purely to exploit its commercial appeal. It dismissed his demand that TikTok's operator remove the videos, because the anonymous uploader had already deleted them.
Key facts
- Court: Tokyo District Court, Judge Aya Takahashi; ruling Sept 30, 2026
- Plaintiff: anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda; defendant: the operator of TikTok in Japan
- An anonymous account posted 188 videos (July 2024–Sept 2025) narrated by an AI voice resembling Tsuda's, reportedly earning ¥500,000–750,000 a month
- Holding: a voice is protected under publicity rights if 'the purpose of using that voice is exclusively to take advantage of its commercial appeal'; a voice is 'as symbolic of one's personality as portraits are'
- Takedown demand dismissed because the videos had already been removed; Tsuda's lawyer said the ruling made both sides look victorious
- TikTok said it would study the judgment
What happened
Japan has no specific statute on AI voice clones. The court extended the judge-made right of publicity, previously applied to names and likenesses, to voices.
Why it matters
It sets a precedent in a country with a large voice-acting industry and gives performers a legal route against commercial AI voice clones. It parallels US state laws such as Tennessee's ELVIS Act.
Changelog
- 2026-10-01: created
Sources (3)
- pressNikkei Asia: Japan court rules voice is protected as publicity right in AI cloning case
- pressTNW: Tokyo court rules the human voice is protected, in a TikTok AI clone case
- pressThe Star: Japan court rules human voice is protected in TikTok AI case
id: 2026-09-30-tokyo-court-voice-publicity-right · updated 2026-10-01 · open in the interactive timeline