I've developed a little software that use FFmpeg in command line mode.
To further clarify: My software launch several times ffmpeg.exe that is stored inside the same folder as my .exe. User never interact with it and never see it. It's only copied inside my software folder and is launched it in background by my program.
I'm a very newbie to software developing, and also with licencing.
FFmpeg is distributed under LGPL Licence (from what I read here). Now that my software is completed I want to release it to everyone for free (Maybe including some sort of optional donation) but I want to retain some sort of domain onto it.
Probably I will also release it in some kind of open-source licence but I didn't have decided which one it's the best, so temporarily this option is out of my mind.
The problem is that I don't understand clearly if I can distribute FFmpeg with my software (and for that I mean including it into my installer and use it in form of command-line use inside my software logic) without have to release my software under LGPL.
It's a legal question that I don't understand clearly: What does it mean "including" a LGPL software? Isn't inside my software, only inside an installer that copy it onto clients PC with my software, that will launch it in background. My software don't "include" (inside their code) any library of the software neither.
My software it's small but valuable (I think :D ), I don't want to release onto a licence (LGPL) that doesn't convince me 100%.
What can I do to distribute my software 'with' FFmpeg? Distribute under LGPL it's the only option or I'm "free" because I use it in command-line mode?