Is the "Voice" of Voice Actors Protected? The Future of "Protection and Utilization" Indicated by the 81 Produce × ElevenLabs Partnership

1. "Voice" is Now Being Targeted—The Premise Changed by Generative AI

For actors, voice actors, and narrators, their "voice" is a part of their body and their profession itself. However, with the spread of voice-generating AI, it has become possible to mass-produce "similar voices" from audio fragments available online (parts of performances, interviews, event streams, social media videos, etc.) without the person's consent.

The damage doesn't end with just being "similar." The risk of "voice hijacking" has emerged as a real threat, where individuals can be made to say words they did not say, used in advertisements outside of their work, or repurposed for political, fraudulent, or defamatory purposes.

The important point here is that voice is a medium that people tend to "believe" more than images. When people hear a voice, they can easily perceive personality, emotion, and intent. Thus, unauthorized voice generation can directly lead to the infringement of honor, credibility, and job opportunities.

2. The Essence of the 81 Produce × ElevenLabs Partnership—Aiming for Both "Protection" and "Multilingualization"

The direction indicated by this partnership is clear.

• 81 Produce: Register the voices of affiliated voice actors with ElevenLabs as needed

• ElevenLabs: Provide a platform/technology for multilingualization

• Joint Aim: Deliver Japanese content to the world while preserving the original voice actors' voice quality during multilingualizationPress Release & News Release Distribution Share No.1｜PR TIMES+1

Reports mention a plan to generate approved anime, narration, programs, etc., in up to 29 languages (scale).KAI-YOU | POP is Here .+1
Additionally, the company touches on elements such as VoiceCAPCHA, digital watermarking, and C2PA compliance as "voice protection technologies."KAI-YOU | POP is Here .+2ASCII+2

This partnership is not about "banning" AI, but rather guiding its use through legitimate channels based on consent, registration, and provenance proof.It can be described as a model.

3. What is "Voice Protection Technology"?—Watermarking, Provenance, and Impersonation Countermeasures

The keywords appearing in the partnership reports are important not only for technicians but also for creators.

(1) Digital Watermarking

The concept of embedding an "invisible mark" in AI-generated audio so it can be detected later. The purpose is not only to distinguish between "real voices" and "generated voices" but also to track dissemination paths and enable automatic detection on platforms.

(2) C2PA (Provenance and Authenticity Standard)

C2PA is an open standard that cryptographically handles the source and editing history of content, sometimes likened to a "nutritional label for content."c2pa.org
The C2PA explanatory materials describe the process of embedding provenance information (manifest) into content or linking it with "soft binding" such as invisible watermarking, allowing authenticity to be verified even after distribution.spec.c2pa.org

(3) Deterrence of Impersonation and Misuse (Policy Enforcement)

Even with technology, loopholes can exist without rules. ElevenLabs has a policy prohibiting the replication and use of someone else's voice without consent and impersonation that misleads others into thinking it is AI-generated.ElevenLabs
This serves as the platform's "minimum safeguard," and the "normalization" aimed for by the partnership only functions when combined with such rule design.

4. Why Are Voice Actor Agencies Now Entering "AI Partnerships"?

At first glance, it seems contradictory. "Why partner with an AI company if you want to protect voices?"
The answer is that to protect, it's necessary to establish pathways for users.

One reason for the prevalence of unauthorized use is the friction caused by weak, slow, or expensive legitimate licensing channels.

• Legitimately registered voices

• Multilingualization only for approved projects

• Provenance proof (detection and tracking)
  , if established as an "industry-standard path," would at least create a reason to "do it legitimately."

And there is another reality: the global market. In distribution platforms and global simultaneous releases, the speed of multilingual support is crucial. Subtitles and dubbing are quality-driven, but they require time and cost for production, casting, studio recording, and supervision.
If it becomes possible to "expand into each language while preserving the original voice actor's performance nuances," the reach of content can expand rapidly.ASCII+1

5. Is "Multilingualization" a Blessing or a Threat?—Changes Happening on the Ground

When this partnership becomes fully operational, it will not only affect voice actors. It will also impact translators, dubbing directors, sound production, overseas localization companies, and even distribution platforms.

Expected Benefits

• Speed of Overseas Expansion: Easier to align release timings globally

• Consistency: Maintain "voice identity" of characters across languages

• Accessibility: Reach audiences who struggle with subtitles, applicable for educational purposes

• Production Options: Choose between traditional dubbing and AI multilingualization based on work, region, and budget

Concerns

• Reorganization of Dubbing Market Workload: Possibility of traditional dubbing being replaced in some areas

• Scope of "Acting Responsibility": Who takes responsibility if a performance generated in another language causes controversy

• Quality Control: How to ensure cultural nuances, jokes, honorifics, and emotional range

• Brand Damage to Voice Actors: Risk of "voice-only appearances" in unintended contexts

Ultimately, AI multilingualization is not about "replacement" or "expansion," but rather who controls what under what conditions.

6. Is the Legal System Keeping Up?—Japan's "Voice Rights" Still Have Many Gray Areas

This is the main issue. "Will voices be protected?" depends more on systems and operations than on technology.

(1) "Discussion Points" Indicated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs Materials

The working team materials from the Agency for Cultural Affairs are organizing the relationship with copyright regarding cases where generative AI generates and uses voices mimicking voice actors. Furthermore, government documents indicate a policy to organize the relationship with the Unfair Competition Prevention Act regarding the use and generation of actors' and voice actors' likenesses and voices, and to review it if necessary.bunka.go.jp

The same materials list specific examples, such as generating voices similar to specific voice actors and causing confusion by using names, likenesses, and character representations.bunka.go.jp

(2) Challenges for Performers (Voice Actors)—Copyright Does Not Easily Apply to "Voice Itself"

Voice acting is a "performance," but AI often generates "new similar audio" rather than a "replica of the recording itself." This discrepancy makes rights redress difficult.
The Japan Actors Union (Nippairen) is demanding the clarification of performers' publicity rights and the granting of adaptation and reproduction rights to performers regarding the generative AI issue.nippairen.com

In short, the current legal system cannot definitively say "it cannot protect voice actors," but there are parts that cannot be said to "definitely protect them" either.This is why movements like partnerships that "create a fence with contracts and technology first" are becoming realistic.

7. The Core of the Partnership Model is "Contract"—Consent, Compensation, Scope, Revocation, Audit

Whether this partnership is socially supported depends not on PR words but on the transparency of its operation. There are at least five checkpoints.

1. Consent: Who consented to what, and to what degree

2. Scope: Is it on a work-by-work basis, genre basis, and what about duration, region, and medium

3. Compensation: Is it a fixed fee, revenue-linked, and are there secondary usage fees

4. Revocation: Can it be withdrawn midway, and what happens to existing use

5. Auditability: Can third parties verify generation logs, watermark detection, and provenance proof

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