Open-Source Standoff: GitHub Freezes Rockchip’s Code After Two-Year FFmpeg License Battle

According to FFmpeg, Rockchip Electronics was accused of copying portions of FFmpeg code directly into its drivers and later altering the original license while removing the original authors’ attributions, in a dispute that surfaced in February 2024. After FFmpeg submitted a DMCA notice, GitHub disabled Rockchip’s MPP repository, with a notice indicating access had been disabled due to a DMCA violation.

The infringement centred on the libavcodec library, which FFmpeg says is distributed under the LGPL and was redistributed by Rockchip under the Apache license, with the authors’ credits removed. Nearly two years passed without Rockchip removing the code or restoring the original licence, prompting FFmpeg to escalate the matter to a takedown. Rockchip has yet to issue any public response, and restoring the repository would not be difficult if the company chooses to appeal and remedy the infringement. 28 December 2025.