[FFmpeg-devel] License for iPhone app

Toshihide Tanaka ttanaka
Thu Dec 10 07:37:25 CET 2009


Now, I'm planing some commercial iPhone apps with FFmpeg.
I build FFmpeg libraries for iPhone, with great help from this ML.

But, as you know, Apple does not allow iPhone apps to link with local
dynamic libraries.
So, if I want to use FFmpeg in my iPhone app, the only way is to link
them as static libraries.
It violates LGPL, I think.

In case, do I have to open my source codes, following GPL (not LGPL) ?
Of cource, I'll accept all requirements to follow *GPL, e.g. copyright
showing, site link, etc.
Also I'll accept to open my source codes if no other way, but if
possible I don't want to open them.

I configured FFmpeg without '--enable-gpl --enable-nonfree', and no
source code change, so I think the resulting libraries are *almost*
LGPL.
The only problem is static linking.
It is not developer side matter, it's develop environment matter.

For example, "cocos2d for iPhone" project extends LGPL to allow to use
it as static library.
http://www.cocos2d-iphone.org/wiki/doku.php/license

So I wish FFmpeg.org to have special consideration like this, for all
iPhone developers.

thanks.



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