Tokyo Court Dismisses Tsuda’s TikTok Suit but Sets Precedent for Voice Rights
The Tokyo District Court dismissed voice actor Kenjirō Tsuda’s lawsuit against TikTok on Wednesday, ruling that the case was moot because the infringing videos had already been removed. However, the court established a landmark precedent by affirming that human voices are protected under publicity rights, similar to visual likenesses. Tsuda had sued over 188 AI-generated videos that allegedly mimicked his distinctive baritone to generate revenue. While the specific claim for removal failed, the ruling clarifies that unauthorized commercial use of a voice constitutes a rights violation, a significant development for Japan’s anime industry and AI regulation.
