MiniMax limits open-source access to H3 video model

Chinese AI company MiniMax has open-sourced its new H3 video model, but developers in some major overseas markets face additional licensing requirements. After the Shanghai-based company released the model’s weights on Monday, users found that free access was restricted in the US, EU, UK and South Korea.

The weights are the underlying parameters that encode the model’s intelligence and allow developers to use, copy, modify and distribute the software without paying MiniMax. Developers in the affected markets must apply for a formal licence, with MiniMax saying it may authorise use after reviewing deployment scenarios and confirming that compliance controls and safeguards are in place.

Paid access through an application programming interface remains available globally via MiniMax’s website or authorised third parties. MiniMax attributed the regional carve-out to regulatory uncertainties and ongoing copyright-related legal proceedings, highlighting the legal pressure surrounding generative video systems.