MiniMax H3 open-source model introduces regional restrictions; some users in the US, EU, UK, and South Korea require authorization.

Huo Xing Cai Jing reports that on August 3, MiniMax, a Chinese AI company, released its new video generation model H3 with regional restrictions in its license, drawing market attention. Ryan Lee, Head of Developer Relations at MiniMax, stated that due to ongoing copyright litigation with multiple Hollywood studios regarding generated video content, regional restrictions were added to the H3 license. According to the H3 license, its scope applies globally except for the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. Individuals and institutions in these regions are default prohibited from using, modifying, deploying, or distributing H3 under the public license, and cannot directly use the model to generate content without obtaining separate authorization from MiniMax. This incident is seen as a shift in the licensing model for open-source models. Previously, open-source models typically meant that once code or model weights were made public, developers worldwide could freely use them; H3, however, attempts to maintain open weights while implementing different usage rules based on jurisdiction. Industry insiders suggest that future open-source AI models may adopt a “regional licensing” model, where the same model could be subject to different compliance requirements across countries and regions.