July 29, 2026
TOKYO – An expert panel set up by the government broadly approved draft guidelines on legal protection for the voices of voice actors and others on Monday.
The guidelines were approved at the final meeting of a panel of the Justice Ministry, which discussed civil liabilities for those who use generative AI to create voices that sound identical to those of voice actors and others without permission.
The ministry plans to publish the guidelines as early as the beginning of August. Those expressing strong concerns about the issue, including one voice actress, indicated hope that the guidelines will help prevent unauthorized use of voices.
The draft guidelines specify that the voices of celebrities are protected by the “right of publicity,” which allows them the exclusive use of their names and likenesses. The guidelines also say the voices of people at large also are protected by the “right to likeness,” which prevents the use of such personal qualities without permission.
The guidelines also state that employing AI to produce a song using someone’s voice may constitute infringement of their rights, even if the use of AI is indicated or there is no profit motive.
Although the guidelines are not legally binding, Masaya Seki, a lawyer specializing in intellectual property law, said; “They will make it easier to demonstrate the grounds for infringement of rights. It will also become easier to request the removal of such content from website operators, present arguments in court and organize evidence.”
Yuko Sasaki, 64, known for voicing the grandmother of the protagonist in the anime “Chibi Maruko-chan,” praised the guidelines. “This is a major step toward protecting our rights,” she said.
The Japan Actors Union, where Sasaki serves as an executive member, has been advocating for the protection of its members’ rights from generative AI since 2023, when the technology began to be widely adopted. Some voice actors had to simply endure it when their voices were used without permission out of concern for damage to their public image, according to Sasaki. “I hope the guidelines will help prevent such issues,” she said.
The guidelines also say that deepfake pornography created with generative AI tools using images of people or their voices harms self-esteem and is highly likely to be viewed as infringing on portrait and other rights.
“That the acts were clearly identified as infringement of rights is a step forward, and it will encourage victims to file civil lawsuits,” said Sumire Nagamori, 36, representative of Hiiragi Net, a private group that monitors child pornography and other harmful content online. However, Nagamori added, “There are still high barriers for victims bringing suits as it involves high costs and is difficult to identify the perpetrators.”
“To add more bite to legal deterrents, we need sufficient legal regulations to crack down on deepfake pornography, in addition to providing protection under the Civil Code,” said Yoji Kudo, a lawyer who is an expert on the issue of sexually exploitative images.