[FFmpeg-user] License FFmpeg under GPL v3

[Aaron Boxer]

On Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 8:59 AM, Aaron Boxer <boxerab at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 8:45 AM, Carl Eugen Hoyos <cehoyos at ag.or.at>
> wrote:
>
>> Aaron Boxer <boxerab <at> gmail.com> writes:
>>
>> > Sorry for another license question, but is it possible to license
>> > FFmpeg under GPL v3 ?  I know that GPL v2 is possible.
>> >
>> > And GPL v2 states that the software can be released under a
>> > later version of GPL i.e. GPL v3.
>>
>> No, the GPL v2 does not state that you can distribute software
>> under the terms of of GPL version 2 or "any later version".
>>
>
> Thanks, Carl.  Here is what I see in the FFmpeg LICENSE file:
>
>
> Some optional parts of FFmpeg are licensed under the GNU General Public
> License version 2 or later (GPL v2+). See the file COPYING.GPLv2 for
> details. None of these parts are used by default, you have to explicitly
> pass --enable-gpl to configure to activate them. In this case, FFmpeg's
> license changes to GPL v2+.
>
> So, it does look like v3 is acceptable.
>

Also, there is this further text:

Should you, for whatever reason, prefer to use version 3 of the (L)GPL,
then the configure parameter --enable-version3 will activate this licensing
option for you. Read the file COPYING.LGPLv3 or, if you have enabled GPL
parts, COPYING.GPLv3 to learn the exact legal terms that apply in this case.


The bracket around L implies that both GPL 3 and LGPL 3 are acceptable
licenses.