Story perspectives

Court Affirms Performer’s Voice as Publicity Right in Tsuda Case

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 4:13 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Kenjiro Tsuda won a court ruling that his voice is protected as a publicity right.
Judge Aya Takahashi said using a performer’s voice can infringe publicity rights.
Tokyo District Court dismissed Tsuda’s request to delete TikTok videos because they had already been removed.
An anonymous account posted 188 AI videos imitating Tsuda’s voice from July 2024 to September 2025, earning ¥500,000-¥750,000 monthly.

History

Historical Context

In 1988 the Ninth Circuit ruled in Bette Midler v. Ford Motor Co. that a singer’s distinctive voice is protected from unauthorized imitation, establishing a precedent for publicity rights. The 2024 Tokyo District Court, hearing Kenjiro Tsuda’s AI-generated video case, cited that ruling while Judge Aya Takahashi considered extending likeness protection to digital performances.

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Story summary

Kenjiro Tsuda won a court ruling that his voice is protected as a publicity right.
Judge Aya Takahashi said using a performer’s voice can infringe publicity rights.
Tokyo District Court dismissed Tsuda’s request to delete TikTok videos because they had already been removed.
An anonymous account posted 188 AI videos imitating Tsuda’s voice from July 2024 to September 2025, earning ¥500,000-¥750,000 monthly.

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