Judge Dismisses $20M Copyright Lawsuit Against Mariah Carey's Christmas Hit
A federal judge has dismissed a $20 million copyright lawsuit against Mariah Carey regarding her hit song "All I Want For Christmas (Is You)."
Mariah Carey wins Christmas copyright battle
Country singer Vince Vance (Andy Stone) and co-writer Troy Powers claimed their 1989 song of the same title was copied by Carey. They alleged she had access to their song through extensive airplay in 1993 and a White House performance in 1994.
Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani rejected these claims based on a musicologist's evidence showing the songs only shared common Christmas song clichés. NYU professor Lawrence Ferrara identified at least 19 songs using similar lyrical ideas released before Vance's track.
The judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove substantial similarity between the songs and ordered Vance to pay Carey's legal expenses, citing "egregious conduct" that unnecessarily increased litigation costs.
Carey's Christmas hit continues to be highly profitable, earning an estimated $2.5-3.3 million in annual royalties. The song has generated over $103 million from global streaming and other revenue sources throughout its lifetime. Carey has embraced her "Queen of Christmas" status, expanding into holiday merchandise and producing an Apple Music Christmas special.
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