ffmpeg just ignores patent licensing - you're responsible for paying the appropriate licensing fees if you use it. The same applies to x264 and x265. Generally

ffmpeg just ignores patent licensing - you're responsible for paying the appropriate licensing fees if you use it. The same applies to x264 and x265. Generally the pools won't go after ffmpeg itself but rather companies shipping it once they get big enough / have money. For example: https://github.com/mbebenita/Broadway/issues/124 https://github.com/mbebenita/Broadway/issues/124 HEVC is currently literally impossible to license. One of the pools hasn't decided on pricing yet. You basically have to set aside some cash and hope it's enough to back-pay once they announce the pricing. But even with the existing ones, you have to pay for encoders, decoders, and videos encoded in it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Video_Coding#Patent_license_terms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Video_Coding#P...