Mariah Carey Sued For Copyright Infringement For Mega-Hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’

On Monday, a musician filed suit against Mariah Carey for $20 million in a California court, alleging her hit holiday song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” infringed on his copyright.

The lawsuit was filed by Andy Stone, the lead vocalist of Vince and the Valiants.

Stone accuses Carey and her team of copying his 1989 song, also titled “All I Want for Christmas is You,” in compositional structure and half of the lyrics.

He also claims that Carey and her team undoubtedly had access to his version of the song.

“Carey has capitalized on the success of her infringing work. ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ has become a ubiquitous part of popular culture, and Carey’s name has become synonymous with the season,” Stone’s complaint read.

Stone first sued Carey in a Louisiana court in June 2022, but he ended up dropping the claim five months later.

Stone is being represented by Gerard P. Fox, a lawyer who represented two songwriters who claimed Taylor Swift had committed copyright infringement with her song “Shake it Off,” which then resulted in an undisclosed settlement.

Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become a holiday classic.

It has topped the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold more than 12 million copies. In anticipation of the Christmas season, Carey posted a video to her social media pages on November 1 in reference to the hit song, depicting her defrosting and reigning in the holidays. 

Meanwhile, the singer is also setting off on a Christmas tour, kicking off on November 11.