A Tokyo court has granted legal protection to human voices in a significant ruling involving Kenjiro Tsuda, a prominent anime voice actor known for his distinctive baritone. The decision, reported by Emirates 247, marks the first legal acknowledgment of an individual’s right to their voice in Japan.
The Tokyo District Court’s ruling comes in response to Tsuda’s lawsuit against an anonymous TikTok account that had been using an artificial intelligence-generated clone of his voice without permission. The account, which featured over 180 videos discussing urban legends and paranormal phenomena, had attracted more than 200,000 subscribers by leveraging Tsuda’s recognizable voice.
In her statement, Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi highlighted the symbolic nature of the human voice, equating it to an individual’s portrait. She noted that the unauthorized use of Tsuda’s voice for commercial gain constituted an infringement of his publicity rights.
Tsuda’s legal action sought the removal of the videos, arguing that the account profited from his voice without consent. However, the court dismissed his request for the deletion of the videos, as the TikTok account had already been closed by the time of the ruling.
The defendant contended that the AI-generated voice used in the videos was not Tsuda’s actual voice and claimed that the content did not harm his reputation as a voice actor. This case reflects a growing concern among voice actors in Japan regarding the implications of AI technology on their work and identity.
This ruling comes amid broader discussions about the ethical use of AI in the entertainment industry. In 2024, OpenAI ceased using a voice in its ChatGPT that resembled that of actress Scarlett Johansson after she raised concerns. Similarly, actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey have entered agreements with voice-cloning companies to allow their voices to be replicated.
The Tokyo court’s decision is expected to have significant implications for the rights of voice actors in Japan, as they navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology and its impact on their livelihoods.
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