Court Dismisses Kenjirō Tsuda's TikTok AI Voice Lawsuit
Tokyo District Court dismissed Kenjirō Tsuda's lawsuit against TikTok's operator over AI-voiced videos, ruling the videos were already removed.
The Tokyo District Court dismissed voice actor Kenjirō Tsuda's lawsuit against TikTok's operator on Wednesday, ruling that the AI-voiced videos at the center of the case had already been removed.
According to the operator, the videos were taken down after Tsuda filed the lawsuit in November 2025. The court found this removal sufficient to resolve the matter.
Tsuda's lawsuit claimed that an unidentified account posted at least 188 videos between July 2024 and September 2025 using AI to imitate his voice. The videos dealt with urban legends and conspiracy theories. His team sought removal under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the right of publicity.
The defense argued that the narration used a "universal male voice" trained on the poster's friend's voice, disputing that it imitated Tsuda specifically.
The case highlights growing legal questions around voice rights and generative AI in Japan. In August, a Ministry of Justice expert panel issued guidelines on protecting voices from unauthorized generative AI use, as reported by animenewsnetwork.com.
Quick answers
Why was Kenjirō Tsuda's lawsuit against TikTok dismissed?
The Tokyo District Court found that the AI-voiced videos had already been removed, so the lawsuit was dismissed.
How many videos were involved in the lawsuit?
The lawsuit claimed an unidentified account posted at least 188 videos using AI to imitate Tsuda's voice between July 2024 and September 2025.
What did the defense argue about the AI voice?
The defense argued the narration used a 'universal male voice' trained on the poster's friend's voice.