Lee Mendelson Film Productions has reached a licensing agreement with CBS for the use of Vince Guaraldi‘s Linus and Lucy on the final broadcast of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The finale aired on May 21, one day after Lee Mendelson Film Productions (LMFP) had separately filed four copyright infringement lawsuits in federal courts, targeting video game publisher GameMill Entertainment, auction house Heritage Auctions, accessories manufacturer Buckle-Down Inc., and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
During the finale, bandleader Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed Linus and Lucy while Stephen Colbert discussed LMFP‘s enforcement actions.
As the band played, Colbert joked: “Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!”
Seperately, the suits, filed on May 20 in New York and Washington, D.C., allege a pattern of unauthorized commercial use of Guaraldi‘s compositions – in game soundtracks, social media advertising, and a government holiday card.
“The lawsuits are intended to halt a pattern of infringement that threatens to diminish the integrity of these protected works, the Guaraldi music legacy, and other cherished creative content vulnerable to misuse in the modern media landscape,” LMFP said in a statement about its enforcement campaign.
The proceeds from the CBS agreement will be donated to World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to communities affected by natural disasters and civil unrest.
Jason Mendelson, Chairman of LMFP, addressed the Late Show case specifically in a statement released on Tuesday (June 16) alongside the licensing agreement.
“LMFP found the music’s use on The Late Show funny and entertaining, and is proud to support World Central Kitchen‘s mission,” said Mendelson.
“A principal goal of our enforcement actions is to educate individuals, businesses, and government entities about the need to obtain written license agreements to use music in a commercial setting,” Mendelson added.
“A principal goal of our enforcement actions is to educate individuals, businesses, and government entities about the need to obtain written license agreements to use music in a commercial setting.”
Jason Mendelson, Lee Mendelson Film Productions
On the penultimate episode of The Late Show, the show and Colbert had donated $2.5 million to WCK, presenting the gift to the charity’s founder, Chef José Andrés.
The financial terms of the CBS licensing agreement have not been disclosed.
The May 21 finale marked the end of a franchise CBS had announced it would retire. The network announced in July 2025 that it would not replace Colbert – describing the decision as “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
Lee Mendelson Film Productions was founded in 1963 by the late Lee Mendelson, who died on December 25, 2019.
The company is the publisher of Guaraldi‘s musical catalog and the producer of the Peanuts television specials, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, first broadcast in 1965.
According to LMFP, the company has received 11 Emmy Awards from 45 nominations, along with four Peabody Awards.
The LMFP suits form part of a broader wave of copyright litigation targeting the unauthorized use of music in social media posts and commercial settings. Warner Music Group sued retail chain DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse in May 2025, alleging infringement of more than 200 works in TikTok and Instagram posts.
The character rights to the Peanuts universe are held by Peanuts Worldwide LLC – which was recently majority-acquired by Sony – and are distinct from the Guaraldi music catalog controlled by LMFP. Peanuts Worldwide was not a party to any of the four LMFP lawsuits.Music Business Worldwide
