ffmpeg patent

ffmpeg may be used with GPL3+ I think, seeing in the apt-get source ffmpeg

It shows in LICENSE.md

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.

And GPL3 may help protect against patents that harm floss software users, I think. I'm not a lawyer.

https://trisquel.info/en/forum/i-have-doubt-regarding-free-ness-ffmpeg

Is an old article, but maybe the ffmpeg could use a patent, or maybe not seeing it is only

Should you, for whatever reason,

So you, not those who made the patent idea.

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html#GPL

Though https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffmpeg#Legal_aspects

shows

Legal aspects

FFmpeg contains more than 100 codecs,[70] most of which use compression techniques of one kind or another. Many such compression techniques may be subject to legal claims relating to software patents.[71] Such claims may be enforceable in countries like the United States which have implemented software patents, but are considered unenforceable or void in member countries of the European Union, for example.[72][original research] Patents for many older codecs, including AC3 and all MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 codecs, have expired.[citation needed]

FFmpeg is licensed under the LGPL license, but if a particular build of FFmpeg is linked against any GPL libraries (notably x264), then the entire binary is licensed under the GPL.

https://www.gnu.org//philosophy/po/software-patents.fr-en.html