Mixing licenses

[Matthew Flaschen]

Vlad Stanimir wrote:
> I want to create a  video editing program licensed under the new BSD
> license.The program will use a plugin based codec, like mpeg.exe,or
> avi.exe for decoding/encoding  and parsing respectively.Now lets say
> that mpeg.exe is licensed under gpl, and i have another plugin wmv.exe
> with is proprietary licensed. Now mpeg.exe and wmv.exe dont talk to each
> other  but they both talk to Videoeditor.exe and are both  distributed
> in the same installer, wil that be a problem with GPL?

It depends whether the video editor as a whole is "a work based on the
Program", where "the Program" is mpeg.exe.  There is no simple answer
anyone can give you short of a judge.  IANAL and TINLA.

Matt Flaschen