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Lee Mendelson Film Productions Files Four Copyright Lawsuits Over Peanuts Music
Lee Mendelson Film Productions filed four federal lawsuits Wednesday alleging unauthorized use of Vince Guaraldi compositions from Peanuts television specials. The suits target the U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage Auctions, Buckle-Down Inc., and GameMill Entertainment.
May 21, 8:00 AM·1m read1 source
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Alleging unauthorized use of music from Peanuts television specials. U.S. Department of the Interior used an arrangement of "O Tannenbaum" from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in a digital holiday card posted to social media without permission.
A second lawsuit alleges Heritage Auctions used "Linus and Lucy" in Facebook and Instagram posts promoting an auction of collectibles. , a belt company that produces Peanuts-themed products. The fourth lawsuit targets video game publisher GameMill Entertainment.
It alleges the 2025 game "Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club" used new compositions that closely resemble Guaraldi pieces including "Linus and Lucy" and "Skating" without permission. The plaintiff seeks at least $300,000 in damages from GameMill and an injunction stopping the alleged violations.
Vince Guaraldi composed the music for the specials. Mendelson died in 2019. U.S. Department of the Interior said in an email that it does not comment on litigation. A representative of Heritage Auctions stated the company has not yet been served with or reviewed the complaint.
