[FFmpeg-user] License FFmpeg under GPL v3

[Aaron Boxer]

On Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 9:06 AM, James Darnley <james.darnley at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On 2016-03-29 15:00, Aaron Boxer wrote:
> >>> 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.
>
> I don't know what Carl is on but you can use GPLv3 with --enable-gpl and
> --enable-version3 as you are on the cusp of discovering
>
> Configure reports GPLv3, ffmpeg -L reports GPLv3.  What else is there?
>


Thanks Guys.

The reason why I ask is this clause in the AGPL license:

Quoting https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html#AGPLv3.0 :

Please note that the GNU AGPL is not compatible with GPLv2. It is also
technically not compatible with GPLv3 in a strict sense: you cannot take
code released under the GNU AGPL and convey or modify it however you like
under the terms of GPLv3, or vice versa. However, *you are allowed to
combine separate modules or source files released under both of those
licenses in a single project, which will provide many programmers with all
the permission they need to make the programs they want.* See section 13 of
both licenses for details.

So, if I release FFmpeg under GPL v3, then I can also use my AGPL module
with this release, and everything should be fine from
a legal perspective.

Cheers,
Aaron