Over 43,000 AI-generated deepfakes using celebrities' likenesses were created in a two-month period in 2025, resulting in estimated losses of ¥2 billion to ¥4.5 billion for entertainers and artists. The study by Japan's Publicity Right Protection Organization reveals that most entertainment companies lack awareness of the full damage and have no policies to address copyright infringement, prompting Japan's Justice Ministry to begin drafting legal guidelines.
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A nonprofit rights group found 43,483 cases of suspected copyright infringement using AI during a two-month period from June 2025, with AI-generated content featuring celebrities' likenesses or voices attracting approximately 335 million views on social media.
Why it matters
The study estimates financial losses between ¥2 billion to ¥4.5 billion for celebrities and artists, calculated from licensing fees and advertising value—though the actual losses may be significantly larger since the survey covered only cases the organization could identify. Most entertainment companies surveyed lack guidelines to handle such violations.
What to watch
Only around 28% of surveyed companies were "fully" or "somewhat aware" of the full scope of damages, and only 1.1% had guidelines in place; the Justice Ministry is setting up an expert panel to discuss possible legal actions and is looking to compile guidelines as concerns around AI usage in the entertainment industry continue to heighten.
The study by the Japan Publicity Right Protection Organization reveals a growing tension between AI capabilities and intellectual property protection in Japan's entertainment sector. Over a two-month window in mid-2025, nearly 44,000 instances of unauthorized use of celebrity likenesses and voices demonstrate both the scale and ease with which generative AI can replicate protected content. The 335 million views these deepfakes accumulated underscore the reach and potential financial impact: licensing fees and advertising value alone suggest losses in the billions of yen, and the organization itself acknowledges that its estimate likely understates the true damage.
The enforcement gap is stark. With only 28% of surveyed companies aware of the full scope of infringement and just 1.1% having formal response guidelines, the entertainment industry appears unprepared for the pace and volume of AI-driven copyright violations. Many companies reported difficulty in developing such guidelines independently, pointing to both technical and legal uncertainty. This backdrop has prompted Japan's Justice Ministry to intervene: an expert panel established earlier this year is tasked with formulating legal remedies and compiling official guidelines. In parallel, the Japan Fair Trade Commission is investigating how news content is being used without permission by AI-powered search engines, signaling that copyright friction is not confined to entertainment.
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