Mariah Carey has been sued over her 1994 Christmas classic ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’.
The award-winning singer has been taken to court by a songwriter who said he co-wrote a song with the same title five years earlier.
According to a report by CNN, in a complaint filed in New Orleans federal court, Andy Stone is seeking at least $20 million in damages from Carey, her co-writer, and Sony Music Entertainment for copyright infringement and misappropriation, among other claims.
Stone, who performs as Vince Vance with the country-pop band Vince Vance & the Valiants, accused the defendants of having illegally exploited his “popularity and unique style” and caused confusion by recording the newer song without his permission.
Stone said his own song had received “extensive airplay” during the 1993 Christmas season and appeared on Billboard charts.
Carey’s song appeared on her album “Merry Christmas,” and has long received widespread play on the radio and in retail shopping environments during the holiday season.
It has also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart every year since 2019, despite having been recorded a quarter-century earlier. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was Carey’s 19th No. 1 song, one fewer than the Beatles.
