Hi,
I'm developing a commercial application and would like to include ffmpeg to extract thumbnails from videos. ffmpeg is licenced under LGPL 2.1. I would like to know how I can include ffmpeg in my software installer while meeting the requirements of LGPL 2.1. If it makes any difference I haven't modified the ffmpeg exe in any way. If anyone could offer any advice it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Rob
Ask a lawyer. Don't believe any answer anyone gives you unless they are qualified to practice law in your country and you have paid them to give you the information you want.
The GPL licenses are very coherent and explain exactly what you need to do to comply.
You may copy and distribute the Library (or a portion or derivative of it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange.
If distribution of object code is made by offering access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source code from the same place satisfies the requirement to distribute the source code, even though third parties are not compelled to copy the source along with the object code.
For a library, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the library.
However, linking a "work that uses the Library" with the Library creates an executable that is a derivative of the Library (because it contains portions of the Library), rather than a "work that uses the library". The executable is therefore covered by this License. Section 6 states terms for distribution of such executables.
So looks like you can include ffmpeg as long as it remains separate from your executable.
The bigger issue is, have you paid the MPEG Patent Holders to include the MPEG System implementation? This is why open source projects themselves decline to include ffmpeg (and often require you to compile/obtain it separately).
'if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Library by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the Library.'
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html
Where software patentability is upheld, the use of MPEG-2 requires the payment of licensing fees to the patent holders. The patent pool is managed and administered by MPEG Licensing Authority, a private organization.