Mariah Carey, also known as the Queen of Christmas, has not had a very joyful beginning to the summer.
According to documents obtained by The Washington Post, Andy Stone, who contributed to the writing of Vince Vance & the Valiants’ country ballad “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” is suing Mariah Carey for infringement of his copyright. He alleges that the diva never asked for or received permission to use his title for her recurring Christmas hit song.
Stone is also suing Carey’s co-writer on the song, Walter Afanasieff, in the civil claim that he has submitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Stone had already recorded his twangy version of the song in 1989, far before Carey’s pop version was released in 1994. Both musically and lyrically, Stone’s version is very different from Carey’s version of the song. In this case, he asserts that his song was played often on the radio during the 1993 holiday season, one year before Mariah Carey’s song was.
Scrooge is demanding twenty million dollars in damages from the singer of “Obsessed.”
In one section of the lawsuit, it is stated that “Plaintiff [Stone] specifically asked that Defendants [Carey and Afanasieff] halt and desist from further distribution of Plaintiff’s work.” [Citation needed] “Defendants continue to exploit Plaintiff’s work ‘All I Want for Christmas is You,’ reaping significant financial advantages and other pecuniary benefits to the detriment of Plaintiff, despite the fact that Plaintiff has requested that this activity cease.”
Mariah Carey is being sued for a total of $20 million due to the popularity of her holiday standard “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Andy Stone, who co-wrote the Vince Vance & The Valiants song of the same name, has filed a lawsuit against the band for allegedly infringing upon his copyright. Pictured to the right is a still from the music video for the song written by Stone. Carey is being sued for a total of $20 million for her perennially popular Christmas song “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Andy Stone, who co-wrote a country song with the same title, is alleging that there has been an infringement of his copyright with the song. Pictured to the right is a still from the music video for the song written by Stone. The appearance of Vince Vance and the Valiants in FilmMagic
According to the documents, Carey and Afanasieff “knowingly, voluntarily, and consciously engaged in a campaign to infringe [Stone’s] copyright in the work… to the defendants’ commercial gain, personal profit, and unjust enrichment and to Stone’s irreparable injury and financial loss.”
The agent for Carey declined to comment when contacted by The Washington Post. Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” continues to bring in money decades after it was first released, thanks to streaming services and radio broadcasts. Only on Spotify has the song been played more than one billion times.
According to the lawsuit, Stone is a self-employed musician who makes his living by performing, selling, and licensing his copyrighted music. He derives his income from the revenues he receives from these activities in order to maintain his lifestyle.
It would appear that Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is the gift that keeps on giving year after year since the song brings in millions of dollars annually.
It would appear that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey is the gift that keeps on giving as it continues to fetch the singer millions of dollars annually.