Tokyo Court Rules Human Voice Protected by Publicity Rights

The Tokyo District Court ruled on September 30, 2026, that the human voice is protected as a publicity right, marking the first time Japan has legally acknowledged a right to one's voice. The landmark decision followed a lawsuit by anime voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, who alleged that an anonymous TikTok account named Nanami used an AI-generated clone of his baritone voice to narrate approximately 188 videos about urban myths and the occult for commercial gain.

Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi determined that the unauthorized use of a performer's voice to exploit its commercial appeal constitutes an infringement of publicity rights. She compared the human voice to a portrait, stating it is symbolic of individual personality. Despite this recognition of infringement, the court dismissed Tsuda's request to force the removal of the videos because the anonymous account had already been deleted by June 29.

TikTok argued that the AI used a standard male voice rather than a clone of Tsuda. The ruling occurs as Japan's animation industry faces growing concerns over AI mimicry, prompting some actors to launch the No More campaign against unauthorized generative AI cloning.