Tokyo Court Recognizes Voice as a Protected Publicity Right, Impacting AI Developers and Social Media Platforms Globally
The Tokyo District Court has issued a landmark ruling recognizing a person's voice as protectable under Japan's right of publicity, marking the first time this protection has been extended beyond a celebrity's name and likeness in the country. The case involved a voice actor suing a social media platform over unauthorized AI-generated imitations of their voice. Although the claim was ultimately dismissed on procedural grounds because the content had already been removed, the court established that a person's voice, like their likeness, is a 'symbol of their personality' and can be protected if its unauthorized use is solely aimed at exploiting its customer-attracting power. This decision aligns with interpretive guidance from the Japanese Ministry of Justice, which also concluded that voices identifying specific individuals are subject to legal protection.
