Mariah Carey is being sued by $20 million for copyright infringement of her holiday song, “All I Want for Christmas”
Andy Stone, singer-songwriter, was also known as Vince Vance and The Valiants. He filed a civil suit in the Eastern District of Louisiana against Carey, Walter Afanasieff, and the Sony Music Group over claims of “copyright infringement” and “unjust enrichment” over a song he wrote five years prior to Carey’s hit.
Stone is described in court filing as an artist who works for himself and makes his living performing, licensing, and selling copyrighted music.
Stone co-wrote the song and recorded it in Nashville in 1989. His version received “extensive radioplay” during 1993 Christmas season, and began to appear on the Billboard music charts.
Although musically and lyrically distinct, the filing claims that Sony, Carey, Afansieff, and Sony “never sought nor obtained permission” to use the title “All That Christmas Is You”, and that Stone never granted permission, consent, or a license for the title.
According to the court document, Stone’s lawyers reached out to Carey in April 2021 regarding “unauthorized use of the song.” After “not being able” to reach an agreement about the usage, Stone requested to send a cease-and-desist. Carey and other defendants “continued to exploit” Stone’s work.
Carey’s holiday song has been a tradition since 1994 when Carey released “Merry Christmas”. It has gained worldwide infamy ever since. Carey has been dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” because the song has reached the top of the charts in every holiday season since its release.
Spotify has streamed the song at least 1,000,000 times and has paid out $60 million in royalties as of 2017. Carey has so far not replied to the lawsuit.