Approvals & Legal

Approval

Per our contractual agreements, all uses of Snoopy and other Peanuts characters must be approved in advance by the MetLife Advertising Department, United Media and Creative Associates. Here’s advice and access to forms for requesting approvals.

Copyright Notice Options

Whenever Snoopy or other PEANUTS characters appear, you must use one of the two copyright notice options below.

Full Notice: PEANUTS © [YEAR] Peanuts Worldwide.

On large applications such as brochures and pocket folders, you should use the full copyright notice. This may be placed elsewhere in the document (e.g., the back cover).

Concise Notice: © [YEAR] PNTS

On smaller applications or one-sided collateral, such as business cards, postcards, or Web banners, it is acceptable to use the concise copyright notice.

MetLife uses Snoopy and the other PEANUTS characters through agreements with Peanuts Worldwide. The agreements state that all uses of Snoopy and PEANUTS characters, whether internal or external, must be formally approved in advance by the MetLife Global Brand & Marketing Services, Peanuts Worldwide, and Creative Associates.

A PEANUTS Approval Request Form as well as the design concept layout and original source art files of images being used, must be submitted to PeanutsApproval@metlife.com.  Approval is granted within 5-7 business days. For complete details on the approval process, please refer to content in PEANUTS Approvals PDF.

Download PEANUTS Approval Request Form
Download Snoopy Premium Approval Form
Download PEANUTS Approvals Flowchart

Our agreements also state that copyright credit must always be assigned to Snoopy and the PEANUTS gang. Please review the section for more details.

For Artwork

Here you’ll find access to request forms for using Snoopy and PEANUTS art. You’ll also find both full and concise copyrights, and advice on where to place them.

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Legal & Copyright

MetLife’s agreements with Peanuts Worldwide, which manages the PEANUTS characters for the Schulz family, are very specific in terms of how we may use the PEANUTS characters. It is important that we adhere to these conditions, domestically and internationally.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

• All uses of PEANUTS characters must go through FASTrack.
• Always display the copyright line when using PEANUTS characters. Please note that the copyright line need not appear directly next to the artwork. It may be placed in a less obtrusive location (e.g., on the back of a brochure).
• Periodically, PEANUTS artwork is retired from the art bank, which is updated to reflect the currently available poses. Please make sure the art you are using is current.
• Development of some premium products is prohibited because it infringes on other licensees’ rights. (Consult the contacts below.)
• Approval documentation must be kept for six years.
• Only an authorized PEANUTS artist may draw new character poses. (Consult the contacts below.)

For more information about the PEANUTS contractual guidelines, contact Kate Niven at kniven@metlife.com or 212-578-8271, or Debra Marshall at dmarshall@metlife.com or 212-578-5602.

For information regarding how best to use characters within the brand identity system, please contact Jeffrey Damon at jdamon@metlife.com or 212-578-3621, or Jeffrey Runnion at jrunnion@metlife.com or 617-574-3960.

 

 

 

Peanuts Copyright & Approval

MetLife uses Snoopy through agreements with Peanuts Worldwide. The agreements state that copyright credit must always be assigned to Snoopy or any of the other PEANUTS characters.

Our agreements also state that all uses of Snoopy and PEANUTS characters, whether internal or external, must be formally approved in advance by the MetLife Global Brand & Marketing Services, Peanuts Worldwide, and Creative Associates. For complete details on the approval process, please see the Snoopy Approvals section.

Copyright Notice Options
Whenever Snoopy or other PEANUTS characters appear, you must use one of the two copyright notice options below.

Full Notice: PEANUTS © [YEAR] Peanuts Worldwide 

On large applications such as brochures and pocket folders, you should use the full copyright notice. This may be placed elsewhere in the document (e.g., the back cover).

Concise Notice: © [YEAR] PNTS

On smaller applications or one-sided collateral, such as business cards, postcards, or Web banners, it is acceptable to use the concise copyright notice.

 

Whenever PEANUTS artwork is used internally or externally, formal approval must be obtained from MetLife Global Brand & Marketing Services, Peanuts Worldwide, and Creative Associates.

Submissions for approval are made via Peanuts Worldwide's Fast Approval System with Tracking (FASTrack) at http://portal.unitedmedia.com/partnerApplications. For premium approvals, please see Snoopy Premium Approvals. General artwork approval requests must include the following information:

• Conceptual art (i.e., a .jpg or .pdf file with the artwork shown in place). The file must be attached to the submission showing the location of the MetLife logo and the PNTS copyright notice. Any text that’s in progress can be marked “draft.”
• The PEANUTS “lift art,” or “source art,” from the original .eps files, labeled with the UMAX identification number, arranged on an 8.5" x 11" page, and submitted in PDF format for approval.
• Licensee information (e.g., MetLife USA, MetLife Japan, MetLife Korea, MetLife UK, MetLife Brazil, etc.)
• Contact information
• Product type and description (e.g., brochure)
• Description of intended use
• Distribution dates
• Territory of distribution (i.e., country or countries)

If your concept submission is not approved, you may have the opportunity to revise your request for approval and resubmit it.

If your premium concept submission is approved, you must submit a sample for approval prior to production (known as "Prototype Phase"). A final sample must be submitted to Creative Associates, as required.

The review process for each submission or resubmission requires approximately 7 days (see the Snoopy Artwork Approval Flow Chart (PDF)). Please note that you must check your submission’s status via FASTrack.

For Premiums

Snoopy premiums may be sourced in two ways; via the Snoopy Premium Program or via the alternative sourcing option. Each has its own approval process.

Snoopy premiums may be sourced in two ways, via the Snoopy Premium Program or via the alternative sourcing option. Each has its own approval process.

Snoopy Premium Program Approvals

With the Snoopy Premium Program, managed by our official Snoopy premium vendor, Consolidated Marketing Services (CMS), the approval process is an integral part of the order process. One distinct advantage of ordering via the Snoopy Premium Program is that CMS will process the approval for you. (See the Snoopy Premium Request Flow Chart).

Ordering Catalog Items

To order Snoopy premiums from the CMS catalog, go to www.metlifestore.com. Simply register/log-in, and fill out and submit the online order form. If the merchandise is in stock, it ships within 24 hours. If not, CMS will advise you regarding the expected ship date.

While the items in the CMS catalog are approved for use, please note that CMS must obtain approval from Peanuts Worldwide for the quantity you wish to order.

Ordering Noncatalog Items and Custom Requests

For noncatalog items and custom requests, contact CMS to place your order. CMS will fill out the Snoopy Premium Approval Form and submit it for review by MetLife Global Brand & Marketing Services, Peanuts Worldwide, and Creative Associates. The review process is typically completed within three to seven days.

Note: Custom merchandise can generally be produced and shipped within six to eight weeks, so place your orders as early as possible.

To place an order for noncatalog items, contact CMS at
Phone: 978-658-5756 (all markets)
Phone: 800-414-8998 (toll-free number for U.S. only)
Fax: 978-657-5210
E-mail: akz@domino.cmsassociates.com

Snoopy Premium Program Royalty Payments

For premiums sourced through CMS, the royalty is included in the price and is paid by CMS. You do not need to fill out any royalty reporting forms.

Alternative Sourcing Option Approvals

You may choose to source premium items from a local supplier rather than using the more convenient Snoopy Premium Program. The approval process is part of the ordering process, as described below.

To order from a local supplier:

1. Download the Snoopy Premium Approval Form and, using the Save As function, save it to your system under a useful name of your choosing.
2. Fill out the form and save it.
3. Log on to Peanuts Worldwide’s Partner Applications Portal and select the Fast Approvals System with Tracking (FASTrack).
4. Click on “Create Submissions.”
5. Choose from the options in the drop-down menus of the “Sub-Property”, “Contract/Amendment”, “Sub Licensee”, “Contact”, and “Legal Article” fields.
6. Enter “Submission Details” specifically focus on providing sufficient information in “Product Description.”
7. Attach your Premium Order Form to the “Source Art” section.(*In addition to the source art files for the concept.)
8. Attach your concept design to the “Concept Art” section.
9. Submit your concept for approval.

Alternative Sourcing Option Royalty Payments

If you use an official PEANUTS licensee to produce your premiums, the royalty fee is built into the price, and the licensee is responsible for making royalty payments to Peanuts Worldwide.

If you are using a nonlicensee, MetLife owes a 10% royalty (30% on items distributed in Japan) on any products purchased. On a quarterly basis, MetLife Global Brand & Marketing Services will send the Peanuts Premium Royalty Calculator (.xls), which you will use to calculate and report the royalties owed from your premium purchases. MetLife Global Brand & Marketing Services will pay the royalty due. You will then be billed by the International Finance Department for reimbursement of the royalty payment.

For Appearances

Any appearance by Snoopy, whether external or internal, requires the approval of both MetLife Corporate Communications and Peanuts Worldwide. The entire process is conducted via the Snoopy Costume Request Database found within Lotus Notes. If you do not see the icon for the database on Lotus Notes please contact Lillian Raccasi at lraccasi@metlife.com and she will supply the link.

Any appearance by Snoopy, whether external or internal, requires the approval of both MetLife Corporate Communications and Peanuts Worldwide, and the entire process is conducted via the Snoopy Costume Request Database found within Lotus Notes.

Note: This database is the central resource for obtaining approvals for Snoopy appearances globally and, in the United States only, for reserving a Snoopy costume.

The process begins with the online submission of a completed Snoopy Costume Appearance Request Form and the requestor’s agreement to the Snoopy Costume Appearance Guidelines found within the Lotus Notes database.

Minor differences distinguish the domestic (United States only) and international procedures:

1. North America: The request form may be filled out by any employee with appropriate authority. The process flow includes several steps for shipping that are unique to the United States. Please review the Domestic Snoopy Costume Appearance Request Flow Charts (PDF).
2. International: The request form is filled out by the local marketing coordinator. Please review the International Snoopy Costume Appearance Request Flow Charts (PDF).

To access, open Lotus Notes, click on the  Snoopy Costume Request Database icon, and begin using. If you do not see the icon for the database on Lotus Notes, please contact Lillian Raccasi at lraccasi@metlife.com and she will supply the link.