Kenjiro Tsuda files suit demanding deletion of AI voice imitation video; judgment to be handed down at Tokyo District Court

On the 30th, the Tokyo District Court will hand down a verdict in a lawsuit filed by popular voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda against the company that operates the short video posting app TikTok, alleging that his voice was imitated using generative AI (artificial intelligence) without his permission. It will be interesting to see what kind of decision the district court will make in this first lawsuit regarding infringement of voice rights by generative AI.

The lawsuit was filed in November last year. The issue at issue in the lawsuit is whether voice imitation by generative AI constitutes a violation of the ``right of publicity,'' which allows celebrities to monopolize the ability to attract customers based on their name or likeness, or a violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, which prohibits unauthorized use of product labeling.

According to the complaint, between July 2024 and September 2025, 188 videos were posted featuring images dealing with urban legends and conspiracy theories with narration imitating Tsuda's voice. Tsuda is known for his role as a popular character in the anime ``Jujutsu Kaisen,'' and the video received many comments such as ``Sounds like Tsudaken'' and ``His voice is similar.''

The plaintiff's analysis of the audio data revealed that it was similar to Tsuda's characteristic "low, astringent voice." The average number of views of each video was 1.47 million times, and the posters said they received compensation of 500,000 to 750,000 yen per month depending on the number of views. ``Tsuda-san's voice increased the value of the product by having the content read out loud.''

In response, the operating company argued, ``The poster said that he had ``generated AI learn the voice of a friend,'' and that it was just a universal male voice.'' The lawsuit states that the video data was deleted from the entire account after the lawsuit was filed, and the lawsuit is also asking for the claim to be dismissed on the grounds that there is "no benefit to the lawsuit."

In August, the Ministry of Justice's Expert Committee released guidelines stating that voices are subject to the protection of publicity rights, just like portraits such as photographs. An example of a potential infringement of rights is a case in which a sound source using a celebrity's voice singing another person's song was created using generative AI, and profits were generated. Yoshiyuki Tamura, a professor of intellectual property law at the University of Tokyo Graduate School who served as the chairperson of the committee, said, ``If the judgment confirms that voice rights have been violated, it should be easier for voice actors to request that their videos be deleted in the future.''