Mariah Carey is being sued for copyright infringement on her smash hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Mariah Carey mega-hit holiday song “All I Want for Christmas is You,” is being sued for $20 million for alleged copyright infringement.
On Friday (3rd june), singer-songwriter Andy Stone, better known as Vince Vance and the Valiants, filed a civil lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana against Carey, song co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and the Sony music group, alleging “copyright infringement and unjust enrichment” among other things, in connection with a song he wrote with the same title five years before Carey’s hit was released.
Stone is described in the court document as a self-employed musician who makes a living by performing, selling, and licencing his copyrighted music.
The complaint argues that the defendants, Carey, Afansieff, and Sony, “never sought or secured authorization” for the use of the term “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and that Stone never given permission, consent, or a licence to use the title, notwithstanding the musical and lyrical differences.
Stone’s lawyers first contacted Carey and the other defendants in April of 2021 in regards to “unauthorised use of the song,” and after “not being able to come to an agreement” about the usage, Stone personally requested to send a cease and desist, despite the fact that Carey and the other defendants “continue to exploit” his work, according to the court document.
Since its release in 1994 on Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album, Carey’s song has become a holiday favourite and has acquired global fame. Since its release, the song has topped the charts every holiday season, earning Carey the moniker “Queen of Christmas.”
The song has been streamed over 1 billion times on Spotify, with royalties totalling $60 million as of 2017. Carey has yet to react to the case.