Mariah Carey Avoids $20M Copyright Lawsuit Over 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'

Mariah Carey has successfully avoided a $20 million copyright lawsuit over her iconic holiday song, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

A federal judge dismissed the case on Wednesday, ruling that the claims made by country singer Vince Vance, whose real name is Andy Stone, and co-writer Troy Powers lacked substantial evidence of copyright infringement.

According to RollingStone, Vance and Powers originally sued Carey in November 2023, arguing that her 1994 holiday anthem was a "derivative" of their 1989 song with the same title.

They alleged that Carey's track copied elements such as lyrics, melody, harmonic language, and rhythm.

However, Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani rejected their claims, stating that the two songs shared only "commonplace Christmas song clichés" found in many other holiday tunes.

The judge further ruled that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate any significant similarities between the songs.

She noted that their legal actions caused unnecessary delays and increased litigation costs. As a result, the court ordered Vance and Powers to cover Carey's legal expenses.

Court Rules in Favor of Mariah Carey in Christmas Song Copyright Battle

This was not the first time Vance attempted to sue Carey over the song. He previously filed a lawsuit in June 2022 but later dropped the case without prejudice.

In the latest complaint, Vance argued that Carey must have had access to their 1989 song because it received extensive airplay in 1993 and performed at the White House the following year.

However, Carey and her legal team maintained that her song was independently written and bore no significant resemblance to Vance's track.

Carey co-wrote "All I Want for Christmas Is You" with Walter Afanasieff before including it as the lead track on her 1994 album Merry Christmas, The Wrap said.

Since then, the song has become a holiday classic, consistently topping the Billboard Hot 100 and breaking streaming records each year. In 2024, it once again reached the number-one spot for the 17th time.

Judge Almadani supported Carey's defense, agreeing that the song's musical elements and themes were common in Christmas music long before 1989.

Gerald Fox, the attorney representing Vance and Powers, expressed disappointment in the ruling and suggested that they are considering re-filing the case. "It appears that district courts routinely dismiss most plaintiffs' copyright cases," Fox said in a statement.

Neither Carey nor her representatives, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, have commented on the ruling.

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Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas Is You