Mariah Carey has emerged victorious in a copyright lawsuit over her iconic holiday song “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” A US District Judge ruled that the songwriters behind Vince Vance and the Valiants’ 1989 version of the song failed to prove their work was significantly similar to Carey’s 1994 hit. The judge also ordered the songwriters to pay part of Carey’s legal fees, citing “irrelevant and unsupported factual assertions” in their filings.
Carey’s song has become a holiday staple, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart every year since 2019. In contrast, Vince Vance and the Valiants’ version of the song reached the country charts during the 1990s but did not achieve the same level of success as Carey’s version. The lawsuit was filed by Andy Stone and Troy Powers, who claimed that Carey’s song copied elements of their original song, including lyrics and musical melodies.
However, Judge Monica Almadani found that the songs were “not objectively similar enough” to support a copyright infringement case. The judge also noted that common Christmas song elements, such as snow, mistletoe, and presents under Christmas trees, are often used in holiday music, making it difficult to determine what constitutes originality.
The decision marks a significant win for Carey, who has long defended her song’s uniqueness. She had previously stated that the songs were “completely different” and argued that any similar elements were common to many Christmas songs. The ruling also underscores the challenges of proving copyright infringement in cases where similarities between songs are not clearly defined.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/mariah-carey-wins-copyright-lawsuit-over-all-i-want-christmas-is-you-2025-03-20