Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc. v. Heritage Auctions Inc.

**Plaintiff:** Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc. (LMFP), a California corporation based in Burlingame, CA **Defendant:** Heritage Auctions Inc., a Texas corporation based in Dallas, TX with a New York office at 445 Park Avenue **Core allegation:** Heritage Auctions synchronized the musical composition "Linus and Lucy" to a promotional video it posted on Facebook and Instagram to advertise Peanuts collectibles without obtaining a license from LMFP. LMFP alleges the infringement was willful and/or reckless given Heritage's sophistication in intellectual property licensing. **Asserted IP:** - Musical composition "Linus and Lucy" (Vince Guaraldi), Copyright Reg. No. Eu 879495 (registered April 26, 1965) - Renewal registration No. RE 650749 (renewed December 17, 1993) - Copyright assigned to LMFP by the Guaraldi estate December 17, 1990, recorded at Document Nos. V2604P223, V2604P233, V2604P243, V2604P253, V2604P263, and V2604P273 **Relief sought:** Permanent injunction, actual damages plus defendant's profits or statutory damages up to $150,000 under 17 U.S.C. § 504(c), plus attorneys' fees and costs under 17 U.S.C. § 505 **Why it matters:** This case tests the scope of commercial music licensing obligations for auction houses using recognizable legacy compositions in social media advertising, with implications for the broader practice of syncing unlicensed music to promotional video content on Meta platforms.