Judge dismisses $20M lawsuit against Mariah Carey over hit holiday song

Mar 20

Kennedy Felton Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer

By Kennedy Felton (Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer)

A judge dismissed Andy Stone’s $20M lawsuit against Mariah Carey, claiming her 1994 song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” copied his 1989 track. Despite sharing a title, the songs were ruled musically distinct, and the court found no evidence to support Stone’s claims.
The court imposed sanctions on Stone’s legal team, criticizing them for failing to ensure factual contentions had evidentiary support.
While Stone may appeal the ruling, Carey has put the legal battle behind her, and her song remains a holiday classic.

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A judge has ruled in favor of Mariah Carey in a lawsuit over her holiday hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The $20 million case, filed by songwriter Andy Stone, claimed Carey copied his 1989 song of the same name.

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Andy Stone v. Mariah Carey Lawsuit Ruling Download

Stone, also known as Vince Vance from the band Vince Vance & The Valiants, sued Carey in 2023. He alleged that she and co-writer Walter Afanasieff had access to his song before releasing their 1994 version. He also claimed they copied key elements, including the lyrics, chord progression, melody and harmony.

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Judge dismisses claims against Mariah Carey

Despite sharing a title, the two songs are musically distinct. Carey’s version is an upbeat pop track, while Stone’s is a country ballad. A musicologist and professor at New York University determined that the similarities were “fragmentary, used with different lyrical phrases, arranged differently, and in common use prior to Vance’s song.”

On Wednesday, March 19, the judge dismissed the lawsuit without the need for a trial. The court ruled that Stone’s case lacked evidence and imposed sanctions against his legal team.

Mariah Carey’s response to the lawsuit

Carey had previously called the lawsuit “outrageous and insulting.” The judge agreed, stating in the ruling that, “Plaintiffs’ counsel made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support.”

Stone’s attorney, Gerard P. Fox, responded to the decision, telling The Associated Press, “Judges nearly always dismiss a music copyright case, and one must appeal to reverse and get the case to a jury. My client will decide shortly whether to appeal.”

With this ruling, Carey officially puts the legal battle behind her. Meanwhile, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” remains a holiday classic, continuing to dominate the charts each year.

Tags: Celebrities, Copyright law, Entertainment, Lawsuit, Mariah Carey, Music

[KENNEDY FELTON]

It may still be the beginning of the year, but all she wants for Christmas is to prove she didn’t steal her holiday hit! Mariah Carey just won a legal battle over “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” shutting down claims that she copied the song from another artist.

In 2023, songwriter Andy Stone, whose stage name is Vince Vance, filed a $20 million lawsuit against Carey and her co-writer. He claimed the hit song was copied from a track he co-wrote in 1989 with the band Vince Vance and the Valiants, also titled “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Stone alleged that Carey and her co-writer had access to his version prior to writing and releasing theirs and copied elements like his lyrics, compositional structure, chord progression, melody, and harmony.

While both songs share the same title, they are musically distinct. Carey’s 1994 song is an upbeat pop tune, while Stone’s is a country ballad where the lead singer expresses she doesn’t want Christmas decorations—just her lover. The only similarities between the songs are the title and the general Christmas theme.

Last January, Carey responded to the lawsuit, calling it outrageous and insulting.

A ruling in the case stated that a musicologist and professor at New York University determined that any similarities between the two songs were “fragmentary, used with different lyrical phrases, arranged differently, and in common use prior to Vance.”

On Wednesday, the judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling in Carey’s favor without the need for a trial. The judge deemed the case frivolous and imposed sanctions against the plaintiffs, meaning potential penalties for Stone’s legal team. The ruling added, “It is clear to the Court that Plaintiffs’ counsel made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support.”

A lawyer for Stone told the Associated Press that judges nearly always dismiss music copyright cases and an appeal is often required to bring the case before a jury. Stone’s legal team filed the case based on opinions from two esteemed musicologists, and his client will decide shortly whether to appeal.