BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN with period laugh track (1975)

DECLARATION OF FAIR USE UNDER 17 U.S.C. § 107 - North Ridgewood Media, LLC hereby submits this declaration in accordance with the Fair Use provisions set forth under 17 U.S.C. § 107 of the Copyright Act. The audiovisual content contained in the referenced video constitutes a transformative work created strictly for educational and historical purposes, thereby falling within the statutory exceptions to copyright infringement. The underlying intellectual property associated with BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN is owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a partnership between WildBrain and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with exclusive distribution rights currently held by Apple TV+. Furthermore, the accompanying music soundtrack is the sole property of Lee Mendelson Film Productions. North Ridgewood Media, LLC asserts no ownership interest, claim, or proprietary rights over any portion of this copyrighted material. This content is disseminated for non-commercial, scholarly, and archival purposes, without any intention of monetization, commercialization, or unauthorized redistribution. North Ridgewood Media, LLC does not receive, nor does it seek, residuals, royalties, licensing fees, or any form of financial remuneration in connection with this work. The use of this material is strictly non-exploitative and serves to inform, educate, and document a culturally and historically significant audiovisual production. The educational objective of this work is to explore and analyze the impact of audience perception and tonal variation in animated television programming through the application of a historically accurate laugh track. Specifically, this project demonstrates what a Peanuts television special would sound like if its soundtrack were augmented with period-appropriate canned laughter, utilizing restored recordings from the 1974–75 television season. This scholarly exercise serves to contextualize the audiovisual presentation techniques of mid-20th century television, offering insight into how industry-standard audience responses influenced the reception and comedic timing of contemporary programming. Through this reconstruction, viewers are afforded a comparative media study that highlights the evolution of sound design in television history. In accordance with established jurisprudence and guiding principles of Fair Use, this video:
1. Advances public understanding of the historical and cultural impact of BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN and the broader Peanuts franchise;
2. Employs excerpts of the copyrighted material in a limited and transformative manner that does not supersede or replace the market function of the original work;
3. Is not intended for commercial gain and does not impair the rights holder’s ability to exploit their intellectual property; and
4. Aligns with precedents set forth by the courts regarding fair and permissible uses of copyrighted content for educational and documentary purposes.