A Tokyo court ruled on Wednesday, September 30, that a person's voice is legally protected, in a case brought by a well-known anime voice actor against TikTok over videos that used an AI imitation of his voice.

Judge Aya Takahashi of the Tokyo District Court found that using a performer's voice without permission to exploit its commercial appeal can infringe publicity rights. It is the first time a Japanese court has recognized that vocal identity deserves protection against AI cloning.

The actor, Kenjiro Tsuda, was not awarded damages, and the court did not order the videos removed because the anonymous account had already deleted them months earlier. His lawyer said the outcome let both sides claim victory.

The Japan Actors Union welcomed the ruling, saying a voice is the product of years of rigorous training. TikTok said it would respect the judgment.

Voice actors in Japan have campaigned against unregulated AI voice cloning, warning that it could devastate their profession.