CBS SIGNS DEAL TO AVOID LEGAL TROUBLE FROM STEPHEN COLBERT PLAYING COPYRIGHTED ‘PEANUTS’ SONG; Billboard, June 16, 2026

 Bill Donahue, Billboard ; CBS SIGNS DEAL TO AVOID LEGAL TROUBLE FROM STEPHEN COLBERT PLAYING COPYRIGHTED ‘PEANUTS’ SONG

"A month after Stephen Colbert played copyrighted Peanuts music during the final taping of The Late Show in a joking effort to get CBS sued, the TV network has signed a licensing deal to avoid any legal issues from the incident.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions — the owner of the music to the Charlie Brown franchise that just launched a legal blitz over its rights — said Tuesday (June 16) it had reached a resolution with CBS over the episode, in which Colbert deadpanned: “I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!”

The agreement will see CBS take a license for “Linus and Lucy,” the unofficial Peanuts theme that Colbert’s band played on the air during the show. The proceeds from the deal will be donated to the charity World Central Kitchen, run by Chef José Andrés."

It’s a Copyright Lawsuit, Charlie Brown; The New York Times, May 21, 2026

 Aimee Ortiz, The New York Times; It’s a Copyright Lawsuit, Charlie Brown

"The owner of music used in “Peanuts” animated specials, including the memorable holiday classic “O Tannenbaum” and the unmistakable “Linus and Lucy” tunes, sued three companies and the U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday. It accused them of using its captivating bops in social media posts and a video game without permission.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions filed the copyright infringement suits in federal courts in New York and Washington, D.C. The songs are part of the programs that brought Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang from Charles Schulz’s comic strips off the page and into families’ living rooms...

According to the lawsuit, the Interior Department used “O Tannenbaum” from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in a digital holiday card posted in December to social media without permission."