Kenjiro Tsuda has filed a lawsuit against TikTok’s parent company for allegedly using AI to take over his distinctive voice signature without his permission.
Mr. Tsuda is a famous voice actor who is active in works such as “Nanami Kento”. Jujutsu Kaisen To Hyakunosuke Ogata Golden Kamuy. Tsuda’s unique tone has been the envy of men and the source of women’s fantasies for decades.
The lawsuit centers on an anonymous TikTok account that posted at least 188 narrated videos between July 2024 and November 2025 that Tsuda sued. It is said that this content earned him a monthly income of 500,000 to 750,000 yen (approximately $3,400 to $5,100).
The plaintiffs allege that each video includes narration that captures Tsuda’s signature “low, mellow voice” and distinctive “rich bass voice.”
The defense team argues that this AI-generated imitation creates enough confusion between the original and the imitator that it violates Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the so-called “right of publicity,” a legal concept that gives celebrities exclusive use of their likeness.
TikTok has defended its position by suggesting that the narration simply reflects a “common male voice,” as described in the uploader’s own external profile, and may have been trained from a friend’s recording rather than Tsuda’s direct voice.
The defense further argues that viewer comments reflect enthusiasm for the content itself, rather than recognition of the voices behind the content. This distinction may provide immunity from liability under rights of publicity.
Tsuda’s lawyer, Nobuhiro Taira, told the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper last year, “If illegal AI generation goes unchecked, the very foundation of the voice acting industry could be suffocated.If we win here, the boundaries of legality will become clearer, and other voice actors will be able to exercise their rights.”
So far, three closed-door meetings have been held to sort out the main points of the dispute, with the first oral argument expected to be held this summer.
Naturally, digital tools are evolving faster than legal frameworks can accommodate them, but if TikTok insists that Tsuda’s voice is nothing more than a “common male voice” trained by a “friend,” I’d like to see them take this human “friend” to court to prove his singing ability.
Because no other person on this planet was born with a voice that makes your pants fall like Kenjiro Tsuda.
