A copyright lawsuit against the holiday hit of Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been dismissed by a Los Angeles court. On March 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Monica Almadani ruled that there was not enough evidence to support the claim that Carey’s 1994 song copied elements from Andy Stone’s 1989 country song of the same title.
The lawsuit, filed in November 2023 by Stone (who performs as Vince Vance) and co-writer Troy Powers, alleged that Carey’s song copied the “compositional structure” of their track. They sought $20 million in damages, claiming copyright infringement and unjust enrichment.
However, after reviewing the case, Judge Almadani concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove the two songs were substantially similar. A musicologist’s analysis revealed that while both songs shared some common Christmas song clichés, their melodies, rhythms, and harmonies were distinctly different. The judge noted that the lyrical similarities were “fragmentary” and part of the broader tradition of holiday music.
This isn’t the first time Stone has taken legal action against Carey. In 2022, he filed a similar lawsuit but dropped it months later. In 2024, Stone argued that Carey might have heard their 1989 song due to its airplay, but the court rejected this claim.
Since its release, Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become a holiday classic. The song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 every Christmas season since 2019 and is the first holiday song to reach over 2 billion streams on Spotify.
In addition to dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Almadani also criticized Stone and Powers for causing unnecessary delays and increasing litigation costs. The court ordered them to pay Carey’s legal fees.
Carey was recently honored by iHeartRadio Music Awards with the 2025 Icon Award. Her holiday anthem remains one of the most beloved songs of the season, with a legacy of success that continues to grow each year.
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