[FFmpeg-user] Question about licencing

[Edward Park]

Hi,

> Can we use ffmpeg for our demo without breaching any licence.
> 
> What documentation do I need to include on Git to ensure that users are
> aware that they are using FFMPEG and need to adhere to the licencing of
> that product.
> 
> Is there anything else we need to do to ensure that we adhere to the usage
> guidelines.

It depends on the license. Depending on the configuration, an ffmpeg build might not be redistributable at all in the first place.

If the demo uses the command line executables, run  ffmpeg -L  to check which license applies (if any) to that specific build.
For the static/dynamic libraries, I think they are necessarily distributed with the license text, or the api for each has av*_license() that will tell you which license you are granted.

I don't know how you are using FFmpeg, but just a reminder that GPL is very copyleft, and could possibly stipulate that you open source more than what's in the demo.
If you used other 3rd party libraries/components, you would need to comply with any accompanying license, which may not be compatible with the one for FFmpeg.

These are just a few things to think about regarding software licenses in general, there are definitely other aspects to consider. I don't know how big this project is, but you may want to consult legal if it's real big profile, as I append the obligatory disclaimer that I am not a lawyer and have not given any legal advice in this email, of which no part should be regarded as legal advice by anyone.

Regards,
Ted Park