CBS Reaches Financial Agreement with Mendelson Estate: Licensing Fees for Unauthorized Use of “Linus and Lucy” to Be Donated to Charity
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, CBS has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to Lee Mendelson Film Productions (LMFP) following the unauthorized use of Vince Guaraldi’s iconic composition “Linus and Lucy” during the series finale of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Under the terms of the settlement, all licensing proceeds from the agreement will be donated directly to Chef José Andrés’ humanitarian organization, World Central Kitchen.
The musical mishap occurred during a segment of the popular late-night show’s farewell broadcast on May 21, 2026. Bandleader Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine launched into the nostalgic Peanuts theme song while Stephen Colbert was jokingly discussing the Mendelson estate’s strict legal enforcement of Guaraldi’s music catalog. Reacting to the live performance, Colbert quipped to the audience: “Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!”
The Goal: Education and Copyright Awareness
Lee Mendelson Film Productions, the primary steward of the Guaraldi music catalog, has recently initiated a wave of legal actions against various entities—including an apparel manufacturer, a video game company, a collectibles auction house, and even the U.S. Department of the Interior—for unauthorized use of the catalog’s intellectual property.
In a press release addressing its enforcement campaign, the company stated:
“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.”
Reflecting on The Late Show incident, Jason Mendelson, Chairman of LMFP, noted that the estate harbored no ill will: “LMFP found the music’s use on The Late Show funny and entertaining, and is proud to support World Central Kitchen’s mission. 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.”
Colbert’s Ongoing Support for World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a renowned non-profit organization dedicated to providing fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises worldwide.
The redirection of the licensing fees to WCK serves as a fitting postscript to The Late Show. Just one night prior to the finale, during the show’s penultimate episode, Colbert and his team had independently presented a massive $2.5 million donation to Chef José Andrés on behalf of the program, highlighting the late-night show’s deep, preexisting relationship with the charity.
