Lee Mendelson Film Productions filed four copyright lawsuits over alleged unauthorized uses of Vince Guaraldi’s “Peanuts” music.
Lee Mendelson Film Productions, the company that owns music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and other Peanuts television specials, has filed four federal lawsuits alleging the U.S. Department of the Interior and three companies used Vince Guaraldi’s well-known compositions without permission.
The lawsuits, filed Wednesday in federal courts in New York and Washington, D.C., target alleged uses of the music in social media posts and, in one case, a video game. The company is seeking financial damages that vary by defendant, along with court orders barring the alleged copyright violations from continuing or recurring.
One complaint says the Interior Department used Guaraldi’s arrangement of “O Tannenbaum” from A Charlie Brown Christmas in a digital holiday card posted to social media. The department told The Associated Press by email that it does not comment on litigation.
Another lawsuit accuses Heritage Auctions of using “Linus and Lucy,” the song closely associated with the Peanuts franchise, in Facebook and Instagram posts promoting an auction of collectibles. A separate complaint makes similar social media claims against Buckle-Down Inc., a company that makes Peanuts -themed products.
Christina Rees, a representative for Heritage Auctions, said by email that the company had not yet been served with or reviewed the complaint. “If and when we receive it, we will review the allegations and respond as appropriate,” Rees said.
Email messages seeking comment from other defendants were not immediately answered, according to the report.
The fourth lawsuit names video game publisher GameMill Entertainment and concerns the 2025 Peanuts game Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club . Lee Mendelson Film Productions alleges the game used new compositions intended to evoke Guaraldi works including “Linus and Lucy” and “Skating,” and that those versions were close enough to require permission. The company is seeking at least $300,000 from GameMill.
Attorney Marc Jacobson said in a statement that Lee Mendelson Film Productions would not tolerate unlicensed use of its property, especially in an era of rapid digital sharing.
Peanuts Worldwide LLC, which owns the rights to Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the other characters, is not a party to the lawsuits.
Lee Mendelson Film Productions, based in Burlingame, California, was founded by the late producer Lee Mendelson, who worked with Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and director Bill Melendez on the television specials beginning with the 1965 debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas . Mendelson hired Guaraldi, whose jazz scores helped define the sound of the specials and made songs such as “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Linus and Lucy” enduring parts of the franchise.
The cases now turn to whether the challenged social media uses and game music crossed copyright lines, and whether the defendants seek early dismissal, settlement or a court ruling on the claims.
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