‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Copyright Lawsuit Refiled Against Mariah Carey, Seeks $20 Million

Vince Vance and the Valiants’ version of the song preceded the pop star’s by five years and was a hit on the country music charts

Getty Images

Mariah Carey faces a lawsuit over the copyright for “All I Want For Christmas Is You” again as a previously withdrawn case has been refiled.

Country singer Andy Stone, who performs under the stage name Vince Vance with the band Vince Vance and the Valiants, refiled the suit against Carey, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group for copyright infringement along with plaintiff Troy Powers, who co-authored the band’s song of the same name. Stone seeks $20 million in damages.

Neither Carey nor Sony Music Entertainment has responded to the refiling. TheWrap has reached out to Carey’s reps for comment.

Vince Vance and the Valiants’ “All I Want For Christmas Is You” came out in 1989 and garnered “extensive airplay” during the 1993 Christmas season before Carey’s song appeared on her 1994 Christmas album, “Merry Christmas.”

General allegations in the refiled suit call Stone and Powers’ co-authored song “a country music hit” after it was released. The paperwork also claims the song “helped Vince Vance and the Valiants gain national prominence.” The band performed at the White House in April 1994, and they were invited back for a second performance in 1995.

Stone ended his previous suit last November. The former suit asked for $20 million in damages for copyright infringement, false association and unjust enrichment.

“Defendant Carey has capitalized on the success of her infringing work,” the paperwork reads.

The former case, Stone v Carey et al, involved an amended suit against the singer and her label Sony Music Entertainment that called Carey’s song a “derivative version” of Stone’s regarding the melody, harmonies, meter, rhythm and lyrics.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

An earlier version of this story misstated the damages sought in each lawsuit. Those amounts have been corrected.

Comments