- 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.
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.
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.
