Veteran voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda has initiated legal proceedings against the entity behind the video-sharing platform TikTok, citing the unauthorized replication of his signature voice. According to Yomiuri Shimbun, the report from May 23, Tsuda—renowned for his deep, resonant voice as Jujutsu Kaisen’s Kento Nanami and Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Seto Kaiba—filed the lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court in November 2025.
The legal action demands the swift removal of over 180 videos that allegedly employ generative AI to replicate Tsuda’s distinct vocal characteristics without authorization. These videos are reported to generate approximately 500,000–750,000 yen (equivalent to $3,100–4,700 USD) in monthly revenue.
Tsuda’s legal representatives contend that these videos breach his publicity rights, which grant celebrities control over the commercial exploitation of their name, likeness, and persona, and contravene the Unfair Competition Prevention Law, designed to prohibit the unauthorized use of established products and intellectual property. Conversely, TikTok’s defense has requested the dismissal of the case, asserting that the voice used in the videos is merely a “standard male voice” and does not encroach upon Tsuda’s publicity rights.
While no direct link to this lawsuit was confirmed, Japan’s Ministry of Justice established a review panel in April 2026 to delineate the conditions under which damages can be claimed in incidents involving generative AI videos that misuse a person’s likeness or voice without consent.
Moreover, in 2025, Japanese consulting firm IP Forward released findings from a comprehensive survey on suspected publicity rights infringements in the era of generative AI. The study noted, “Technological advancements like generative AI have enabled analog infringement cases to proliferate globally via social media.” It further highlighted that the Japan Publicity Rights Protection Non-Profit Organization (JAPRPO), which sponsored the survey, plans to continue investigating this issue annually, aiming to develop cooperative frameworks with platform operators and craft industry standards for AI’s commercial application.