A federal judge officially dismisses a copyright infringement lawsuit against pop superstar Mariah Carey over her iconic holiday anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” marking a major legal win for the singer and solidifying the track’s standing as one of the most successful seasonal songs in music history.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2022 by songwriter Andy Stone, claimed that Carey’s 1994 smash hit unlawfully copied elements from his 1989 song of the same title, which he co-wrote and recorded with his country-pop band Vince Vance & the Valiants. Stone alleged that Carey’s version bore similarities in lyrical phrasing and musical structure to his earlier track, and sought $20 million in damages for alleged copyright violations and unjust enrichment.
However, U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder has now thrown out the case, citing insufficient evidence that Carey or her co-writer Walter Afanasieff had access to Stone’s song prior to writing their own. In her ruling, the judge writes that the similarities between the two works are “not substantial enough to merit a copyright claim” and that the shared title alone is not legally protectable under U.S. copyright law.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey has become a modern-day holiday classic since its release as part of her Merry Christmas album in 1994. The song sees a resurgence in popularity every December, topping the Billboard Hot 100 multiple times and earning Carey tens of millions in royalties. The track is widely credited with revitalizing the modern Christmas music genre and has become a centerpiece of Carey’s brand and live performances.
Carey and her legal team have long maintained that the song is an original composition, inspired by 1960s Motown holiday records and classic Christmas themes. In multiple interviews, Carey has described the writing process with Afanasieff as spontaneous and joyous, creating what has since become the most downloaded and streamed holiday song of all time.
Andy Stone’s lawsuit faced skepticism from the start due to the generic nature of the title and the absence of specific, concrete evidence of musical or lyrical copying. While both songs do feature the phrase “all I want for Christmas is you,” the melody, tempo, and arrangement are markedly different.
Stone initially filed the lawsuit in Louisiana federal court but withdrew it, only to refile later in California, hoping for a different outcome. However, the new ruling appears to bring the legal battle to a definitive end unless Stone attempts to appeal.
Carey’s representatives have not issued a detailed public statement following the dismissal but previously called the claims “baseless” and “a transparent attempt to cash in on the success of a timeless holiday classic.” Music industry insiders also defended Carey’s track as a wholly unique creation, pointing out that many Christmas songs share similar sentiments, phrases, and motifs due to the thematic constraints of the genre.
This legal decision comes as Carey gears up for another holiday season, with her annual “Merry Christmas One and All!” tour and continued dominance on streaming platforms. Last December, the song again hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — nearly 30 years after its release — and was recently certified Diamond by the RIAA, an unprecedented achievement for a holiday song.
While the legal clouds have now cleared, the court case served as a reminder of the murky territory artists face when navigating song titles, themes, and copyright protections in a highly competitive industry. For Carey, however, the verdict reinforces her reign as the undisputed Queen of Christmas — legally and musically.
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