News On Japan

Voice Actor Kenjiro Tsuda Sues TikTok Operator Over AI Voice Imitation

TOKYO - Popular voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda has filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court seeking the removal of videos that allegedly used generative AI to imitate his voice without permission on the video-sharing app TikTok.

Tsuda is widely known for voicing Kento Nanami in the hit anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" and is also active as an actor.

According to the complaint, unidentified TikTok accounts uploaded more than 180 videos featuring narration that allegedly mimicked Tsuda’s voice using generative AI technology from July 2024 onward.

Tsuda’s side argues that the videos infringe upon his "publicity rights," referring to the economic value associated with a celebrity’s name and likeness, and is demanding that the company operating TikTok remove the content.

The lawsuit was filed in November last year. According to Tsuda’s legal representatives, the TikTok operator has argued that the narration in the videos used a "universal male voice" and therefore did not violate Tsuda’s publicity rights, while seeking dismissal of the case.

Source: TBS

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