What happened
MiniMax released its H3 video model under the MiniMax H3 Community License Agreement, dated 2 August 2026. Section I.5 lists four Excluded Territories: the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea and the United States. Section V.4 bars using, reproducing, modifying, distributing or displaying the H3 works or their outputs outside the permitted territory.
The agreement has no research or non-commercial exception. In permitted territories, commercial products must display "MiniMax H3", and products or services earning over USD 20 million a year need prior written authorisation.
MiniMax's licence Q&A says the open weights are temporarily limited in certain regions until the regulatory framework is clearer. It calls the hosted API globally available and lets organisations there apply for a separate licence.
Why it matters
A film school or studio in the EU or UK cannot run the H3 weights on its own machines under this agreement, nor use outputs from such a setup. MiniMax's Q&A treats its hosted API separately and keeps it open worldwide, so the route to the model now decides the licence position. EuGFA's models reference lists three H3 tiers without licence notes. Facts as of 21 October 2026.
Still open
The Q&A gives no date for lifting the restriction. Whether Section V.4 reaches a European screening of a film made with weights run legally elsewhere has not been tested.