CBS Pays for Unauthorized 'Linus and Lucy' Use on Colbert
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- CBS struck a licensing deal to pay Lee Mendelson Film Productions an undisclosed sum after "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" used Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy" in its May 21 finale.
- Lee Mendelson Film Productions will donate all proceeds from the CBS payment to Chef José Andrés' World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals globally during crises.
- Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed "Linus and Lucy" on the finale while Colbert discussed LMFP's aggressive copyright enforcement — prompting the on-air joke: "Oh no! I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money!"
- On the penultimate episode, Colbert and "The Late Show" separately donated $2.5 million to World Central Kitchen and Andrés.
- LMFP has been aggressively enforcing its copyright on the Guaraldi catalog, filing legal actions against an apparel accessories manufacturer, a video game producer, a collectibles auction house, and the U.S. Department of the Interior for unauthorized use.
- LMFP chairman Jason Mendelson said the company found the Late Show use "funny and entertaining" and framed enforcement actions as education about the need for written music licenses in commercial settings.
Why it matters: The settlement turns a copyright dispute into a windfall for World Central Kitchen, layering on top of the $2.5 million Colbert already gave the organization. It also resolves a clash with a rights holder currently suing the U.S. Department of the Interior and multiple private companies over Guaraldi's catalog, reinforcing that even brief, comedic uses of the song now require a paid license.
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