Mariah Carey has won a legal battle against songwriter Andy Stone, who claimed she copied elements from his song for her holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
On Monday, a judge dismissed the copyright lawsuit filed by Stone, who performs under the name Vince Vance. The judge ruled that Stone failed to prove his 1989 song of the same title had been copied by Carey. Additionally, the court imposed sanctions on Stone, requiring him to cover some or all of Carey’s legal fees due to the “frivolous” nature of the case.
Stone filed the lawsuit in 2023, alongside Troy Powers, alleging that they co-wrote their song in 1988. They argued the track became a country hit, with significant holiday airplay in 1993. Stone claimed that Carey had access to the song due to its commercial success and sought at least $20 million in damages.
However, a federal judge concluded that the two songs were “very different” after a musicologist review. The only similarity, the judge said, was the use of common Christmas song clichés and lyrical themes that predated Stone’s song.
Stone’s attorney, Gerard Fox, expressed disappointment and suggested they might appeal the decision. He emphasized that they relied on two prominent musicologists for their case and criticized the court’s tendency to dismiss music copyright cases.
Stone had previously filed a $20 million lawsuit against Carey in 2022, accusing her of copying his song. He withdrew that claim later that year.
A representative for Carey did not immediately comment on the ruling.
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