Pop icon Mariah Carey is currently embroiled in a $31 million (US$20 million) legal battle over her beloved holiday anthem, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You.’
The lawsuit was filed by musician Andy Stone, lead vocalist of the band Vince Vance and the Valiants, who claims that Carey and her team plagiarised his song of the same name, according to a complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
Stone alleges that Carey not only copied lyrics from his 1989 hit, but also that approximately half of the song constitutes copyright infringement. He asserts that Carey and her team had “undoubtedly” heard his version of the Christmas classic, given its widespread commercial and cultural success.
“The success of Carey’s infringing work has been remarkable,” states Stone’s complaint. “All I Want For Christmas Is You has become an integral part of popular culture, with Carey’s name synonymous with the festive season.”
Douglas M. Schmidt, Stone’s attorney, spoke to Rolling Stone about the case, emphasizing the striking similarity between the two songs. “Around 50 percent of the lyrics are the same, in almost the same order. I believe it’s a compelling claim,” Schmidt commented.
Reports indicate that Stone previously filed a lawsuit against Carey in June 2022, only to withdraw it a few months later.
However, this latest lawsuit asserts that Carey’s mega-hit is a “derivative” of Vince Vance and the Valiants’ song, as both tracks share a similar narrative of a woman choosing love over material possessions during the holiday season.
