An LA judge ruled that "All I Want for Christmas is You" did not rip off a 1989 country track
Mariah Carey has successfully defended her copyright on iconic holiday song “All I Want for Christmas is You” against the writers of Vince Vance and the Valiants' similarly named track, reported Reuters.
US District Judge Monica Almadani determined that Carey’s hit was not objectively similar enough to the 1989 “All I Want for Christmas is You” song penned by Andy Stone (stage name Vince Vance) and Troy Powers to have infringed on copyright.
Stone and Powers first accused Carey of copyright infringement in November 2023. Their suit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, claimed that Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” plagiarized lyrical and musical elements from their track, such as the “extended comparison between a loved one and trappings of seasonal luxury,” according to a snippet published by Reuters. In the suit, Stone and Powers sought a minimum of US$20 million in damages.
In a January 2024 statement published by Reuters, Carey called the suit “not only false but frivolous.” Carey, her music label Sony Music, and song publisher Universal Music Group to the court jointly told the court that the songs were “completely different.”
Carey went on to point out that Stone and Powers lifted their “All I Want for Christmas is You” from 1964 Bobby Vinton song “My Heart Belongs Only to You.” She added that Stone and Powers’ case rested on common Christmas song references like snow, mistletoe, Christmas presents under trees, and desiring the presence of a loved one during the season.
In the ruling handed down last Wednesday, Almadani noted that differences in the melodies, lyrics, and musical elements between Carey’s track and Stone and Powers’ song. Almadani also identified a “litany of irrelevant and unsupported factual assertions” in Stone and Powers’ filings, according to a snippet published by Reuters.
On handing the legal win to Carey, Almadani ordered Stone and Powers to cover part of Carey’s attorneys’ fees.
Stone and Powers’ attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment; neither did Carey’s lawyers and Sony Music’s spokespeople, Reuters said.
Stone and Powers’ “All I Want for Christmas Is You” appeared on Billboard’s country music charts during the holiday season in the 1990s. Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was first released in 1994 and has led the Billboard Hot 100 every holiday season since 2019.
