mirror of https://git.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.git
121 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
121 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
# License
|
|
|
|
Most files in FFmpeg are under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1
|
|
or later (LGPL v2.1+). Read the file `COPYING.LGPLv2.1` for details. Some other
|
|
files have MIT/X11/BSD-style licenses. In combination the LGPL v2.1+ applies to
|
|
FFmpeg.
|
|
|
|
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+.
|
|
|
|
Specifically, the GPL parts of FFmpeg are:
|
|
|
|
- libpostproc
|
|
- optional x86 optimization in the files
|
|
- `libavcodec/x86/flac_dsp_gpl.asm`
|
|
- `libavcodec/x86/idct_mmx.c`
|
|
- `libavfilter/x86/vf_removegrain.asm`
|
|
- the following building and testing tools
|
|
- `compat/solaris/make_sunver.pl`
|
|
- `doc/t2h.pm`
|
|
- `doc/texi2pod.pl`
|
|
- `libswresample/swresample-test.c`
|
|
- `tests/checkasm/*`
|
|
- `tests/tiny_ssim.c`
|
|
- the following filters in libavfilter:
|
|
- `vf_blackframe.c`
|
|
- `vf_boxblur.c`
|
|
- `vf_colormatrix.c`
|
|
- `vf_cover_rect.c`
|
|
- `vf_cropdetect.c`
|
|
- `vf_delogo.c`
|
|
- `vf_eq.c`
|
|
- `vf_find_rect.c`
|
|
- `vf_fspp.c`
|
|
- `vf_geq.c`
|
|
- `vf_histeq.c`
|
|
- `vf_hqdn3d.c`
|
|
- `vf_interlace.c`
|
|
- `vf_kerndeint.c`
|
|
- `vf_mcdeint.c`
|
|
- `vf_mpdecimate.c`
|
|
- `vf_owdenoise.c`
|
|
- `vf_perspective.c`
|
|
- `vf_phase.c`
|
|
- `vf_pp.c`
|
|
- `vf_pp7.c`
|
|
- `vf_pullup.c`
|
|
- `vf_repeatfields.c`
|
|
- `vf_sab.c`
|
|
- `vf_smartblur.c`
|
|
- `vf_spp.c`
|
|
- `vf_stereo3d.c`
|
|
- `vf_super2xsai.c`
|
|
- `vf_tinterlace.c`
|
|
- `vf_uspp.c`
|
|
- `vsrc_mptestsrc.c`
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
There are a handful of files under other licensing terms, namely:
|
|
|
|
* The files `libavcodec/jfdctfst.c`, `libavcodec/jfdctint_template.c` and
|
|
`libavcodec/jrevdct.c` are taken from libjpeg, see the top of the files for
|
|
licensing details. Specifically note that you must credit the IJG in the
|
|
documentation accompanying your program if you only distribute executables.
|
|
You must also indicate any changes including additions and deletions to
|
|
those three files in the documentation.
|
|
* `tests/reference.pnm` is under the expat license.
|
|
|
|
|
|
## External libraries
|
|
|
|
FFmpeg can be combined with a number of external libraries, which sometimes
|
|
affect the licensing of binaries resulting from the combination.
|
|
|
|
### Compatible libraries
|
|
|
|
The following libraries are under GPL:
|
|
- frei0r
|
|
- libcdio
|
|
- librubberband
|
|
- libvidstab
|
|
- libx264
|
|
- libx265
|
|
- libxavs
|
|
- libxvid
|
|
|
|
When combining them with FFmpeg, FFmpeg needs to be licensed as GPL as well by
|
|
passing `--enable-gpl` to configure.
|
|
|
|
The OpenCORE and VisualOn libraries are under the Apache License 2.0. That
|
|
license is incompatible with the LGPL v2.1 and the GPL v2, but not with
|
|
version 3 of those licenses. So to combine these libraries with FFmpeg, the
|
|
license version needs to be upgraded by passing `--enable-version3` to configure.
|
|
|
|
### Incompatible libraries
|
|
|
|
There are certain libraries you can combine with FFmpeg whose licenses are not
|
|
compatible with the GPL and/or the LGPL. If you wish to enable these
|
|
libraries, even in circumstances that their license may be incompatible, pass
|
|
`--enable-nonfree` to configure. But note that if you enable any of these
|
|
libraries the resulting binary will be under a complex license mix that is
|
|
more restrictive than the LGPL and that may result in additional obligations.
|
|
It is possible that these restrictions cause the resulting binary to be
|
|
unredistributable.
|
|
|
|
The Fraunhofer FDK AAC and OpenSSL libraries are under licenses which are
|
|
incompatible with the GPLv2 and v3. To the best of our knowledge, they are
|
|
compatible with the LGPL.
|
|
|
|
The NVENC library, while its header file is licensed under the compatible MIT
|
|
license, requires a proprietary binary blob at run time, and is deemed to be
|
|
incompatible with the GPL. We are not certain if it is compatible with the
|
|
LGPL, but we require `--enable-nonfree` even with LGPL configurations in case
|
|
it is not.
|