Stephen Colbert’s Unauthorized Use of Vince Guaraldi’s ‘Peanuts’ Music Leads to Donation

Stephen Colbert's unauthorized use of Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy" during the May 16, 2024, finale of The Late Show prompted a licensing agreement with CBS. The agreement stipulates that the licensing fee will be donated to the World Central Kitchen, an organization that provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and military crises. Colbert had played the iconic "Peanuts" theme song without obtaining prior permission from the rights holders, a move he acknowledged on air. He explained that he had been informed by his music supervisor that the song was "public domain," a claim that was later corrected. The incident highlights the complexities of music licensing in broadcast media and the potential financial and reputational consequences of copyright infringement. Colbert's decision to direct the resulting fee to a charitable cause frames the situation as a philanthropic gesture rather than a purely punitive one.