Tokyo Court Recognizes Voice As A Potentially Protected Publicity Right

Published: 10/1/2026

Source: Music Business Worldwide — Tokyo AI Voice Ruling

The Tokyo District Court has ruled that a person’s voice can fall within Japan’s publicity-right protections when its commercial appeal is exploited.

Voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda brought the case over TikTok videos that he said used an AI-generated copy of his voice. The court dismissed his requested takedown because the identified videos were reportedly no longer stored on TikTok’s servers.

Why it matters: The decision recognizes that vocal identity may carry protectable commercial value even when a dispute is not framed as traditional music copyright infringement.

The ruling applies in Japan and depends on its specific facts. AI music creators should obtain clear permission before cloning, imitating or commercially promoting a recognizable person’s voice.

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