Mariah Carey has won a big legal battle just before the holiday season, after a US federal court ruled against a copyright lawsuit against her famous 1994 Christmas song, "All I Want for Christmas Is You." The court said the case was not serious and ordered the people who filed it to pay Mariah's legal fees, which were about Sh11.9 million ($92,000).
Image/Mariah Carey
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is one of the most popular Christmas songs ever.
It has been number one on music charts around the world every December for almost 30 years and continues to make millions every year. Since it came out, the song has helped Mariah earn an estimated Sh7.7 billion, making it a must-play holiday song every year.
According to TMZ, the lawsuit was started in November 2023 by a Louisiana songwriter named Andy Stone, who also goes by Vince Vance, and a Tennessee songwriter named Troy Powers.
They claimed that Mariah copied parts of their song, which they said was written in 1988 and released in 1989, five years before Mariah's version. They accused Mariah, her co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and Sony Music of copying the melody, lyrics, and structure of their song. They asked for $20 million in damages, arguing that Mariah's song compared a loved one to holiday gifts, which they said was similar to their song.
However, in March 2025, a US federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed the lawsuit, saying the plaintiffs didn't show enough similarity between the two songs, which is needed for a copyright case to go through. The court agreed with Mariah's defense that any shared words or ideas were common Christmas themes and not protected by copyright.
The judge also said these ideas have been used in many Christmas songs over the years. Because the case was thrown out before going to a jury, Mariah and Afanasieff were completely cleared.The court later ordered the plaintiffs to pay for Mariah's legal costs, saying the case had no good reason.
This decision confirms that Mariah owns one of the most popular Christmas songs in modern music. It also shows that copyright claims need to prove real musical or lyrical copying, not just similar titles or holiday ideas. As "All I Want for Christmas Is You" climbs the global music charts again this December, the ruling ensures the song stays definitively Mariah Carey's.