Japan's Tokyo District Court has held for the first time that a person's voice falls under the right to commercial use of one's image, putting it on the same footing as the right to one's portrait. The decision was issued on 30 September, according to Kyodo News.
The case centered on an artificial intelligence system that reproduced an actor's manner of speech, the outlet reported. In ruling on that dispute, the court extended the protection that Japanese law already gives to a person's likeness to the sound of their voice as well.
The outcome marks the first time a Japanese court has treated voice as covered by this commercial-interest right, Kyodo News said. Japanese outlet Kommersant reported on the ruling, which was delivered on 30 September.
