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Mariah Carey is being sued once again over her Christmas hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Per gossip website TMZ, musicians Andy Stone, AKA Vince Vance, and Troy Powers are suing the “Songbird Supreme” for at least $20 million in damages for their 1989 holiday song of the same name. The refiling is nearly identical to last year’s suit in which Stone called Carey out Mariah for allegedly copying their track after their song got extensive airplay and even made it on the Billboard charts during the 1993 Christmas season.
The Lawsuits, Then and Now
Per Forbes, in last year’s lawsuit, Stone claimed to be the “co-owner and proprietor of the rights, title, and interest in and to the copyright.” He alleged Carey, her co-writer, Walter Afanasieff, and Sony Music Entertainment “never sought or obtained permission to use ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ in creating, reproducing, recording, distributing, selling or publicly performing said song.” The lawsuit also mentioned that Stone’s lawyers initially contacted Carey and her co-defendants about the alleged infringement in April 2021 and subsequently sent a cease and desist letter but explained that Carey “continues to exploit” Stone’s work. In the court filing, Stone is described as a self-employed artist who earns a living by selling, performing, and licensing his copyrighted music.
In the new documents obtained by the gossip site, Stone and Powers claim that there are substantial similarities in the lyrical hook, melody, and overall feel compared to their 1989 song. They claim in their lawsuit that Mariah “palmed off these works with her incredulous origin story as if those works were her own. Her hubris knows no bounds, even her co-credited songwriter doesn’t believe the story she has spun. This is simply a case of actionable infringement.” Stone and his co-plaintiff, Powers, seek a temporary injunction to prevent or restrain infringement and misappropriation of their copyrights and exclusive ownership interests. The pair also request the impounding of all copies of the alleged infringing work, a final injunction to prevent or restrain further alleged infringement and misappropriation, and $20 million in damages.
