Tokyo court rules voice cloning violates actor's publicity rights

The Guardian · September 30, 2026Original source ↗

What happened

A Tokyo district court has determined that the human voice is protected under publicity rights. The decision was made in a case involving actor Kenjiro Tsuda, who claimed that a TikTok account had cloned his voice for AI-generated videos without permission.

Why it matters

This ruling sets a legal precedent for the protection of personal voice likeness in digital content.

How this story affects people

How does this story affect you if you are an actor or voice artist?

This ruling strengthens your rights over the use of your voice in digital media, potentially preventing unauthorized use in AI-generated content. It could lead to greater control over how your voice is represented and monetized in the future.

How does this story affect you if you use AI-generated content on social media?

You may need to be more cautious about using voice cloning technology, as this ruling establishes legal boundaries around voice likeness. This could affect how you create and share content, requiring permissions or licenses that were previously unregulated.

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