Mariah Carey scored a decisive victory over a 2023 copyright lawsuit from a songwriter who claimed that she stole elements from one of his songs for her classic hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Yesterday, a judge dismissed the copyright suit initially filed by Andy Stone, who performs as Vince Vance, stating that he hadn’t met the burden of proof to show that his 1989 song of the same name was copied. Additionally, the judge imposed sanctions for Vance to cover some or all of Carey’s attorneys’ fees as punishment for incurring “needless expenses responding to frivolous legal arguments and unsupported factual contentions.”
Stone had initially filed the suit with Troy Powers in 2023, alleging they wrote their song of the same name in 1988. They claimed it became a country hit and received “extensive seasonal airplay” in 1993. Stone said that Carey “undoubtedly had access” to his song “given its wide commercial and cultural success,” and was seeking at least $20 million in damages.
However, the federal judge determined through musicologist analysis that the songs were “very different” and that the only similar element between them is the “use of a common lyrical idea and Christmas song clichés that were in common use prior to [Vance].”
In a statement to Variety, Stone’s attorney Gerard Fox said that they’ll potentially be looking to appeal the ruling. “We relied upon two of the top musicologists in the industry both who teach music at prominent universities,” he said. “It’s becoming very commonplace that our district court throws out music copyright cases and the only way to move the case to trial is to appeal and secure a reversal. This is disappointing. That said our clients are thinking about the appeal process.”
A representative for Carey did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Stone had previously filed a $20 million lawsuit against Carey and her songwriting partner in June 2022, but pulled his claim that November. In that suit, he said he had recorded and released his song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as Vince Vance and the Valiants in 1989, accusing her of making a “derivative” version of his song and unjustly profiting from the track ever since.
