[Ffmpeg-devel] Patch for dynamic liba52.so loading

[François Revol]

> There is an advantage if it's possible to dynamically load liba52 
> (and 
> libfaad). Say there is one commercial application (without source) 
> that 
> uses the dynamically-loaded libavcodec.so . There is a second GPL 
> application that also uses libavcodec.so. Both applications could 
> share 
> the binary library (e.g. Debian package), legally. But only the GPL 
> application would legally be allowed to use the AC-3 decoder.
> 
> I think the FSF explicitly states that GPL'ed dynamically-linked 
> libraries do extend their copyright to the code they are linked to, 
> even 
> if this linking occurs at run-time ( 

This depends on what you mean by "linking at run-time".
If that linking results in a manipulation of the user, 
like replacing an LGPLed lavc by a GPLed one which links to a52, 
this can't be. Because the user himself is *not* bound by the GPL.

Fran?ois.