Voice actor Kenjirō Tsuda has filed a lawsuit against the operator of the video-sharing platform TikTok, alleging that the platform hosted numerous videos featuring AI-generated narration that impersonated his distinctive voice without authorization. Tsuda is seeking the removal of these videos.
The legal action, initiated at the Tokyo District Court in November 2024, has seen three closed-door pre-trial proceedings to date, with the first oral arguments scheduled for this summer. The lawsuit targets an unidentified individual who allegedly posted at least 188 videos between July 2024 and the suit's filing. These videos, reportedly featuring narrated urban legends and trivia, are estimated to have generated between 500,000 and 750,000 yen (approximately $3,140-$4,396) monthly.
Tsuda's legal team contends that the AI-generated narration replicates his signature "smooth, low-pitched" and "deep, husky" vocal qualities, thereby misleading viewers into believing the content features his actual voice. The suit invokes the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the right of publicity, asserting that the unauthorized use of his vocal likeness infringes upon his rights as a public figure.
TikTok, however, disputes these claims, arguing that the voice used was a "universal male voice" generated by AI trained to mimic a friend's voice, a detail reportedly disclosed on the poster's external website. The platform maintains that no viewer confusion occurred and thus no laws were violated, also denying any infringement of publicity rights. TikTok suggests that viewer comments focused on content rather than the narrator's identity.
Kenjirō Tsuda is a prominent voice actor known for roles such as Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Tatsu in The Way of the Househusband. His lawyer, Kei Hirano, expressed concerns that unchecked unauthorized AI production could harm the voice acting industry, aiming for this case to clarify legal boundaries and empower voice actors.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun Online via DenFamiNicoGamer, Yaraon!
