A partner at Andreessen Horowitz typed one simple text prompt into a tool that routes to a Chinese AI model, MiniMax H3. Out came Dwight and Jim, from The Office. That model isn't even supposed to be available in the U.S. or EU (didn't matter, third-party access routed the prompt straight through. This also isn't MiniMax's first time: Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery are already suing the company, alleging it "pirates and plunders copyrighted works on a massive scale," pointing to AI-generated Deadpool, Wolverine, and Joker clips MiniMax posted on its own channel. MiniMax denies it and pulled the videos) the lawsuit is still active. This isn't really about one bad prompt. It's about enforcement: a company gets sued, denies it, pulls a few videos, and the tool works exactly the same way for the next person five minutes later. Does this change how you think about protecting your own work?
A VC partner just showed how weak Hollywood's AI copyright safeguards really are.
A partner at Andreessen Horowitz typed one simple text prompt into Krea, a tool that routes to a Chinese AI model called MiniMax H3. Out came Dwight and Jim, from The Office.
Not Supposed to Work
MiniMax's Hailuo H3 isn't even supposed to be available in the U.S. or EU. That didn't stop it, third-party access routed the prompt straight through anyway.
Not MiniMax's First Time
Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery are already suing the company, pointing to AI-generated Deadpool, Wolverine, and Joker clips MiniMax posted on its own YouTube channel.
In Their Own Words
MiniMax denies the allegations and pulled the videos in question. The lawsuit is still active.
My Honest Take
This isn't really about one bad prompt. It's about enforcement. A company gets sued, denies it, pulls a few videos, and the same tool works exactly the same way for the next person who tries it.
What This Actually Means
If you're protecting your own work with a copyright and nothing else, this is worth sitting with. Legal claims don't stop a prompt in real time.
A Copyright Didn't Stop This
One prompt did what a years-long lawsuit hasn't.