AI tool that copied actor’s ‘lustrous’ voice violated his rights, Tokyo court rules
Source: Guardian World ↗
Kenjiro Tsuda, the 55‑year‑old actor best known for voicing Kento Nanami in the hit anime *Jujutsu Kaisen*, won a landmark lawsuit against an anonymous TikTok account that had posted 188 AI‑generated videos using a voice that sounded like his “lustrous” baritone. The Tokyo district court ruled on Wednesday that a human voice is protected under Japan’s publicity‑rights framework, stating that the unauthorised use of a performer’s voice can constitute an infringement. While the court recognised the violation, it dismissed Tsuda’s request to have the videos removed because the uploader had already deleted them after the suit was filed in November. Judge Aya Takahashi emphasized that a voice, like a portrait, can be “as symbolic of one’s personality” and is protectable when used solely to exploit its commercial appeal.
The decision marks the first Japanese judgment to extend publicity‑rights protection to vocal identity, a development that comes as voice actors—who often achieve celebrity status through their distinctive performances—voice growing alarm over AI mimicry. Yuko Sasaki, executive director of the Japan Actors Union, warned that a voice is the product of years of rigorous training and apprenticeship, and that AI‑generated copies threaten both individual livelihoods and the broader industry. The TikTok videos, which paired AI‑synthesised speech with images resembling Tsuda’s *Jujutsu Kaisen* character, covered topics such as urban legends, the occult and conspiracy theories, and were described by Tsuda’s lawyers as “sordid” content that drew attention solely because it cloned his “attractive voice”. TikTok countered that the audio was a “generic male voice” and that any similarity was subjective, but pledged to respect the court’s judgment while reviewing the ruling’s details.
The ruling arrives amid a wider push by Japanese performers to curb unauthorised AI use; earlier in 2024, actors launched the “No More” campaign demanding protection for their faces and voices. TikTok responded with a statement indicating it would balance technological development with rights protection, while the court’s finding sets a legal precedent that could shape future disputes over AI‑generated likenesses. As the entertainment sector grapples with rapid AI advances, the case underscores the emerging need for clear legal safeguards for personal vocal attributes, potentially influencing how platforms manage user‑generated content and how creators negotiate the commercial exploitation of their unique sounds.
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The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.