technology-and-law9 days ago
Tokyo Court Sets Precedent: Human Voices Protected as Publicity Rights in AI Clone Case
A Tokyo district court ruled that a human voice is protected under publicity rights, marking the first such legal precedent in Japan. The decision followed a lawsuit by voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda against TikTok, alleging that an anonymous account used AI to clone his distinctive baritone for 188 videos. While the court affirmed the violation of rights, it dismissed Tsuda’s request for the videos' removal because the account had already been deleted. The ruling establishes that using a voice for commercial gain without consent infringes on an individual's identity, a move that has significant implications for the anime industry and AI content creation.