Voice Actor Kenjirō Tsuda Sues TikTok for Alleged, Unauthorized Generative AI Use of His Voice

Image via Kenjirō Tsuda's website

©津田健次郎 / ANDSTIR

Japanese news website Yomiuri Shimbun Online reported on Saturday that voice actor Kenjirō Tsuda filed a lawsuit against the operator of the video-sharing app TikTok for posting videos that allegedly used AI (artificial intelligence) to imitate his voice without permission, and demanded the removal of the videos.

Tsuda filed the lawsuit at Tokyo District Court in November last year, with three closed-door pre-trial proceedings held so far. The pre-trial proceedings are held to discuss and clarify the points at issue and the legal basis of the parties' claims. The first oral argument of the case is expected to take place this summer.

According to the lawsuit, an unidentified individual owns the TikTok account that posted the videos, which include narrated urban legends and trivia. The account posted at least 188 videos between July 2024 and the filing of the lawsuit. According to information released by the poster on another site, the revenue from the videos is estimated between 500,000-750,000 yen (about US$3,140-US$4,396) per month.

Tsuda's team, the plaintiff, argues that the videos feature narration created using AI, imitating Tsuda's characteristic "smooth, low-pitched" and "deep, husky" voice. They claim that the videos are misleading viewers into believing that the narration is Tsuda's voice, thus attracting them. Tsuda's camp seeks the removal of the videos based on the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the right of publicity, which is the right to protect the image of public figures such as celebrities and entertainers.

TikTok, the defendant, argues that the voice used in the narration is a "universal male voice" created by training an AI to generate a friend's voice, which was clearly stated on the poster's external website. TikTok claims that there was no confusion and therefore no violation of the law. TikTok also denies any infringement of publicity rights, arguing that most of the comments on the videos were opinions and reactions regarding to the content, and the viewers were not drawn in by the voice of the narration.

Tsuda's lawyer Kei Hirano stated in an interview by Yomiuri Shimbun that "if unauthorized production is left unchecked, it could hinder the development of the voice acting industry." Hirano added that they hope to clarify the scope of illegality and encourage voice actors to exercise their rights by winning the case.

TikTok's Japanese subsidiary stated that it is responding appropriately to the lawsuit and will refrain from giving further comments.

Tsuda is known for voicing popular characters such as Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Tatsu in The Way of the Househusband, Sadaharu Inui in The Prince of Tennis, and Hyakunosuke Ogata in Golden Kamuy, among others.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun Online via DenFamiNicoGamer, Yaraon!