Court sides with Mariah Carey, dismisses $20 million lawsuit over 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'

Mariah Carey has successfully defended herself in a copyright lawsuit filed by songwriter Andy Stone, who claimed she had copied elements from his 1989 song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" for her holiday classic of the same name.

A federal judge ruled yesterday to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Stone, who performs under the name Vince Vance, stating that he had failed to prove that Carey had copied his work. The judge also imposed sanctions requiring Stone to cover some or all of Carey’s legal fees due to the “needless expenses” incurred in responding to what the judge deemed “frivolous legal arguments and unsupported factual contentions.”

Stone, along with his co-writer Troy Powers, initially filed the suit in 2023, claiming their 1988 song achieved commercial success and became a holiday favorite in 1993. They argued that Carey had “undoubtedly had access” to their song due to its popularity and sought at least $20 million in damages. However, after analysis by musicologists, the judge determined the two songs were “very different,” with the only similarity being the use of common holiday song tropes and clichés that existed before Stone’s song was released.

In a statement to Variety, Stone’s attorney, Gerard Fox, expressed disappointment with the ruling and hinted at the possibility of an appeal. "We relied upon two of the top musicologists in the industry both who teach music at prominent universities," he said. "It's becoming very commonplace that our district court throws out music copyright cases, and the only way to move the case to trial is to appeal and secure a reversal. This is disappointing. That said, our clients are thinking about the appeal process."

This legal battle is not Stone’s first attempt to challenge Carey’s holiday hit. He had previously filed a similar lawsuit in June 2022 but withdrew it by November of the same year. In that case, he accused Carey of creating a “derivative” version of his song, which he claimed she had unfairly profited from since its release.