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Mariah Carey, an American singer-songwriter, is being sued in yet another copyright infringement case in Hollywood for her hit single All I Want for Christmas is You. Andy Stone, a singer-songwriter, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against Mariah Carey. Walter Afanasieff, a singer and co-writer, is also named in the case.
In documents obtained by PA Media, it is stated that Carey and her collaborators 'knowingly, wilfully, and intentionally engaged in a campaign' to infringe Stone’s copyright for the song. They further alleged that the defendants also committed 'acts of unjust enrichment by the unauthorised appropriation of plaintiff’s work and the goodwill associated therewith.'
Why is Andy Stone suing Mariah Carey?
Andy Stone, a singer-songwriter and country musician, claims that he recorded his song, All I Want For Christmas Is You, with his group Vince Vance & the Valiants in 1989. This was five years before Carey’s song was released. He also noted that his song received a good amount of airplay in 1993 and made it to the Billboard charts during the 1993 season. The lawsuit also noted that he has a music video for it. He filed his papers in the US District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Both songs are available to listen to below:
Fans react to Andy Stone's lawsuit against Mariah Carey
Several Mariah Carey fans have taken to Twitter to term Andy Stone's lawsuit as laughable. Some noted that he does not stand a chance and that the two songs do not sound alike. Some questioned the artist's 33-year delay in filing the lawsuit against Carey.
Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You is a commercial success
Mariah Carey released her single All I Want for Christmas is You in 1994 for her fourth studio album, Merry Christmas. The song was a global hit, receiving immediate critical acclaim. It topped the charts in 26 countries, including Australia, Canada, France and Germany.
The track topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 2019, 25 years after its original release. The track also topped the charts in the UK in 2020. All I Want for Christmas is You is the best-selling holiday song by a female artist and one of the best-selling physical singles in music history, with estimated sales of over 16 million copies worldwide.
The song is certified Diamond by RIAA, signifying a sale of 10 million copies in the United States. It became the first and only holiday song to achieve this accomplishment.
In 2016, Carey sang the All I Want for Christmas is You on the popular feature Carpool Karaoke. Fellow singers Adele, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Elton John, Selena Gomez, Gwen Stefani, Coldplay's Chris Martin and the band Red Hot Chili Peppers were featured in the video.
Previous copyright Infringement cases
Mariah Carey is not the only artist who has been hit with a copyright infringement case. Recent such cases include the likes of Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran, who were sued earlier for their popular tracks Dark Horse and Shape of You respectively. Both won their respective cases.
