Charlie Brown Lawsuit
January 16th, 2012 . by adminMost people do not associate cute cartoon and comic strip star Charlie Brown with lawsuits, but it would appear that the beloved character and his friends like Snoopy and Linus aren’t completely immune to the evils of legal disputes. One problem that has sprung up in recent years is the lawsuit that’s been filed on behalf of the musician who originally composed the score to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. The heirs to the estate of the man who recorded the score suggest that the recording company did not buy out music for the film and that they are due royalties from the soundtrack.
The lawsuit alleges that Fantasy Records, which is based in Berkley, California and is a jazz label, underreported the profits associated with the soundtrack and withheld substantial royalties from the children of the man who wrote the score who are now in charge of his estate. The lawsuit suggests that more than two million dollars’ worth of royalties were not paid as they should have been to the estate of Vince Dia Guarldi. The interesting thing about the lawsuit is that it was filed on December 23rd, which is right before Christmas and just a few days before many television stations start to air the beloved Charlie Brown Christmas themed film.
Nobody is certain yet as to the legitimacy of the claims and only time will tell how the lawsuit proceeds but the controversy seems to be a bit of ?bah humbug? in the stockings of everyone who thinks of Charlie Brown as an innocent animated diversion.
