Veteran Japanese voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, known for his roles in numerous hit anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, has lost a lawsuit against TikTok in which he sought the removal of videos that imitated his voice using generative AI. The Tokyo District Court dismissed his claims on September 30, (as reported by The Nikkei) on account of the videos already being deleted from the platform. However, the ruling itself has set an important precedent when it comes to how the voices of seiyuu and celebrities are legally protected in Japan.
Filed in November 2025 and made public in May this year, the lawsuit by Tsuda sought the immediate removal of over 180 videos posted by an unidentified personal account with more than 210,000 followers. The videos featured AI generated narration of commonplace trivia, urban legends etc. using a voice highly similar to Tsuda’s, generating monthly revenue between roughly $3k and $4.7 dollars.
Tsuda’s side argued that the videos were intended to mislead viewers by making them mistake the AI-generated voice for his own, claiming a violation of Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act as well as Tsuda’s publicity rights (laws which protect the commercial value associated with a celebrity’s identity).
On the other hand, TikTok’s side argued the narration used a “generic male voice” and that the uploader had explained on an external website that the voice used in their videos was generated using “AI trained on the voice of a friend.” They maintained that the videos did not violate any laws or infringe on Tsuda’s rights.
The account in question had already been deleted as of May, and the data was allegedly no longer stored on TikTok’s servers. The defendant therefore argued that there was no longer a legal interest in pursuing the case and requested that the claim be dismissed.
The Tokyo District Court dismissed Tsuda’s claim on the grounds of the videos being deleted. However, the ruling itself is significant for stating that a person’s voice is subject to protection under publicity rights laws, which has, according to Japanese media, set a new precedent.
There have been a number of cases in recent years involving the unauthorized use of celebrities’ voices and likeness in videos and images created by generative AI. However, there are no laws in Japan that directly protect voice rights, and organizations representing voice actors and others have been fervently calling for legal reforms as the issue worsens.
Japan’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry have drafted guidelines stating that voices, like likenesses, may be subject to protection under “publicity rights” and the Unfair Competition Prevention Act. However, there have been no court rulings to date recognizing infringement of voice-related rights, which makes the ruling on Tsuda’s case significant.
