Shanghai-based MiniMax has open-sourced its H3 video model but is requiring formal licenses for users in the US, EU, UK, and South Korea due to copyright and regulatory concerns.
Key facts
- •MiniMax released the weights for its H3 video model on Monday.
- •The license restricts free access for developers in the US, EU, UK, and South Korea.
- •Developers in these regions must apply for a formal license to ensure compliance.
- •MiniMax cited regulatory uncertainties and copyright legal proceedings as the reasons for the regional carve-out.
- •Paid API access to the model remains available globally.
Chinese AI firm MiniMax released its new H3 video model to developers on Monday, providing access to the software's underlying weights. However, the company has imposed new licensing requirements for users located in the US, European Union, UK, and South Korea. This decision follows the company's efforts to navigate regulatory uncertainties and ongoing copyright-related legal proceedings.
Licensing and Compliance Requirements
While the H3 model allows developers to copy, modify, and distribute the software without paying fees, those in the restricted regions must now apply for a formal license. MiniMax stated that it will review specific deployment scenarios for these applicants to ensure that appropriate compliance controls and safeguards are in place before authorizing usage. Despite these regional restrictions, the company confirmed that access to the model via its application programming interface remains globally available. This paid subscription service can be accessed through the firm’s website or via authorized third parties.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by SCMP Business.
