Tokyo Court Grants Legal Protection for Human Voice

Matichon•International•20d ago

Reader Briefing

A Tokyo District Court has ruled that human voices are legally protected, marking a first in Japan following a lawsuit by voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda.

•The Tokyo District Court recognized the legal right to a person's voice on Wednesday, September 30.
•Voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda sued to shut down a TikTok account that used AI to mimic his unique deep voice.
•The court ruled that unauthorized use of Kenjiro Tsuda's voice for commercial gain violates rights to reputation and image.
•The request to delete all videos was dismissed because the TikTok account had already been closed.

•Kenjiro Tsuda requested the closure of a TikTok account named Nanami for using AI-generated voices mimicking Kenjiro Tsuda's voice without permission.
•The TikTok account Nanami had more than 200,000 followers and used the AI voice in over 180 videos about urban legends and supernatural phenomena.
•The Tokyo District Court issued its ruling on Wednesday, September 30.
•Judge Aya Takahashi stated that the human voice is a symbol of individual personality and that using Kenjiro Tsuda's voice for commercial value violates reputation and image rights.
•The defendant argued that the AI voice sounded similar to Kenjiro Tsuda but was not his actual voice and did not damage Kenjiro Tsuda's reputation as a voice actor.
•The court dismissed the request to delete the videos because the TikTok account was already closed.
•In 2024, OpenAI planned to suspend a voice in ChatGPT after Scarlett Johansson stated the voice was eerily similar to her own.
•Michael Kean and Matthew McConaughey reached agreements with ElevenLabs to allow AI simulation of their voices.

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Aya Takahashi

"The human voice is like a symbol of an individual's personality, similar to a photograph of that person's face."

เสียงมนุษย์เปรียบเสมือนกับสัญลักษณ์ของบุคลิกภาพเฉพาะบุคคล เช่นเดียวกับภาพถ่ายใบหน้าของบุคคลนั้น

Kenjiro Tsuda(เคนจิโร สึดะ)ℹ️

A famous Japanese anime voice actor known for his deep voice and the role of Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Aya Takahashi(อายะ ทาคาฮาชิ)

The presiding judge of the court panel in the Kenjiro Tsuda case.

Scarlett Johansson(สการ์เลตต์ โจแฮนส์สัน)ℹ️

An actress from the movie Her who noted a ChatGPT voice was eerily similar to her own.

Michael Kean(ไมเคิล เคน)ℹ️

An Oscar-winning actor who made an agreement with ElevenLabs to allow AI voice simulation.

Matthew McConaughey(แมทธิว แมคคอนาเฮย์)ℹ️

An Oscar-winning actor who made an agreement with ElevenLabs to allow AI voice simulation.

TikTok(ติ๊กต็อก)ℹ️

A social media platform where an account used AI to mimic Kenjiro Tsuda's voice.

Tokyo District Court(ศาลแขวงโตเกียว)ℹ️

The court that ruled for the first time in Japan that a person's voice is legally protected.

OpenAI(โอเพ่นเอไอ)ℹ️

The company that announced plans in 2024 to suspend a voice in ChatGPT.

ElevenLabs(เอเลฟเวนแล็บส์)ℹ️

A voice cloning company that reached agreements with Michael Kean and Matthew McConaughey.

Tokyo(โตเกียว)ℹ️

The location of the court that ruled on human voice protection.