Country singer Andy Stone has reopened a U.S. copyright lawsuit against Mariah Carey, alleging that her holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” infringes upon his band Vince Vance & the Valiants’ song of the same name.
Stone and co-writer Troy Powers claim in the California federal court lawsuit that Carey’s song mimics their song’s “compositional structure of an extended comparison between a loved one and trappings of seasonal luxury” along with other lyrical and musical elements.
The legal action is also directed at Carey’s label Sony Music (6758.T) and Universal Music Group (UMG.AS), which has responsibility for publishing rights, according to Reuters.
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This lawsuit comes one year after Stone withdrew a similar case in a Louisiana federal court. Stone and Powers’ attorney declined to comment, and there has been no immediate response from representatives of Sony Music and UMG regarding this matter.
Stone, known as Vince Vance, claimed that his band released “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 1989, and it gained popularity as a country hit during the 1990s holiday seasons.
Carey’s version of the same song was featured on her 1994 album “Merry Christmas” and has since become a widely recognized Christmas classic, consistently topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart during every holiday season since 2019.
Stone and Powers’ lawsuit alleged that Carey’s song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” infringed upon their song of the same name by copying its melody, lyrics, and overall “feel.”
Carey and her labels did not respond to Stone’s previous lawsuit before it was withdrawn. The copyright case between Stone and Carey is filed under the name “Stone v. Carey” and is currently being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, with case number 2:23-cv-09216.
Representing Stone and Powers in the case are Gerard Fox and Cirstan Fitch of Gerard Fox Law, while the legal representation for Carey and the associated labels is not yet available.
