MiniMax H3 US Ban Lifted via Authorization Amid Hollywood Copyright Litigation

MiniMax allows US H3 deployment through formal authorization requiring compliance mechanisms, addressing restrictions linked to ongoing copyright lawsuits from major Hollywood studios.

Woofun AI reports that MiniMax has clarified its licensing restrictions for the H3 model, which currently excludes the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and South Korea. Ryan Lee, lead of Developer Relations at MiniMax, stated that the US restriction is directly tied to ongoing generative video lawsuits filed by major Hollywood studios. Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. previously alleged that Spiral AI unlawfully used their copyrighted content to train models, generating characters from franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars. A US court rejected MiniMax's motion to dismiss the case in May, and the litigation remains active. U.S. users seeking to deploy H3 may formally apply for authorization, provided they commit to establishing a content compliance mechanism aligned with U.S. laws and regulations.