It’s become as much a holiday tradition as decorating the tree or sipping eggnog—country singer Andy Stone, known by his stage name Vince Vance, is once again suing Mariah Carey over her iconic holiday hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” This time, Stone is demanding a hefty $20 million in damages, alleging copyright infringement and unjust enrichment.
In a case filed in the Central District of California on Tuesday, Stone not only targeted Carey but also her co-writer Walter Afanasieff and Sony Music Entertainment. The lawsuit contends that Carey’s Christmas classic bears a striking resemblance to Stone’s own song of the same name, which he co-wrote and released in 1989, long before Carey’s hit came onto the scene.
This isn’t the first time Stone has taken legal action against Carey for the same claim. In June of last year, he filed a similar lawsuit in Louisiana, along with co-writer Troy Powers, but it was dropped five months later.
Stone’s lawyers argue that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Stone received radio play in 1993 and even charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks in the following year, around the same time Mariah Carey’s holiday anthem was released.
The lawsuit maintains that Carey copied the “compositional structure” of Stone’s 1989 song, though it’s important to note that the phrase “all I want for Christmas is you” was not originally coined by Stone. Nevertheless, the lawsuit contends that Carey and her collaborators “undoubtedly had access” to Stone’s work “given its wide commercial and cultural success.”
The documents also state, “Defendants knew or should have known that ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ could not be used in a musical work by Defendants without a license and/or songwriting credit, as is customary practice in the music industry.”
The plaintiffs are now seeking a jury trial and $20 million in damages for the alleged copyright infringement.
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become a staple of the holiday season, topping the Billboard Hot 100, receiving yearly radio play, and earning a rare Diamond certification from the RIAA for selling over 10 million copies, making it the only Christmas song to achieve this status.
On the other hand, Stone’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” maintained a presence on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks until 2000. However, it regained some relevance in 2020 when Kelly Clarkson released a cover version, subsequently featuring it on her 2021 album, “When Christmas Comes Around.” The legal battle over the song continues to play out, adding a dose of legal drama to our annual holiday festivities.
