Mariah Carey is being sued for copyright infringement related to her smash single “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Andy Stone, the man who wrote another Christmas hit with the same title. But his fight for at least $20 million in damages is likely an uphill battle, according to one entertainment attorney.
Stone, who performs under the name Vince Vance, alleges that Carey’s song — which has gone platinum multiple times all over the world — is “a derivative work based” on a Christmas song of the same name he wrote and recorded in 1989. His attorney reached out to the defendants in December 2021, the lawsuit said, but was “unable to come to any agreement” about the continued publication of Carey’s 1994 song.
The Vince Vance & the Valiants version of “All I Want” received “extensive airplay during the 1993 Christmas season” and “began making appearances on the Billboard charts” that year, said the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Times. What Stone is claiming to be the relationship between the two songs is unclear. Carey’s tune is an upbeat pop number, while Stone’s is a low-key country song.
Stone’s lawsuit says the performer “personally requested” that Carey cease and desist publication of her song. It’s unclear when Stone became aware of Carey’s record, which has been streamed more than 1 billion times.
A Carey representative did not respond immediately to a request for comment Monday.
Stone “has major hurdles in the way of winning any damages,” attorney Michael Peters of Beverly Hills-based Ramo Law told The Times via email Monday.
———
