Judge Dismisses $20 Million Copyright Lawsuit Against Mariah Carey's Christmas Hit
A federal judge has dismissed a $20 million copyright lawsuit against Mariah Carey regarding her hit song "All I Want For Christmas (Is You)."
Mariah Carey wins Christmas copyright battle
Country singer Vince Vance (Andy Stone) and co-writer Troy Powers claimed their 1989 song of the same title was copied by Carey. They argued that Carey had access to their song through extensive airplay in 1993 and a White House performance in 1994.
Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani dismissed the case, citing expert testimony from NYU professor Lawrence Ferrara, who found at least 19 songs using similar lyrical ideas before Vance's track. The judge ruled that the songs only shared "commonplace Christmas song cliches" and weren't "substantially similar under the extrinsic test."
The court ordered Vance to repay Carey's legal expenses, noting that the plaintiffs' conduct was egregious and unnecessarily increased litigation costs.
Carey's Christmas classic continues to be highly profitable, earning an estimated $2.5-3.3 million in annual royalties. The song has generated over $103 million from global streaming and other revenue sources since its release. Carey has embraced her "Queen of Christmas" status, expanding into holiday merchandise and producing an Apple Music Christmas special.
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