Mariah Carey Requests Judge Dismiss “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Lawsuit

Mariah Carey is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit related to her hit song “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” nearly a year after the legal action was initiated. Billboard reports that Carey’s legal team has taken steps to get the case, filed by Vince Vance from Vince Vance and the Valiants, thrown out. Vance alleges that Carey and her team copied the concept of their 1989 song of the same name.

The lawsuit, initiated in November 2023, accuses Carey of copyright infringement. Vance’s suit claims that Carey’s 1994 holiday classic is more than 50% similar to his band’s original, both in lyrical choice and chord expressions. Troy Plaintiff, who claims to have co-written the 1989 song with Vance, joined the lawsuit.

Carey’s attorneys argue that the similarities between the two songs are coincidental. They argue that the foundational music elements of both songs are common in the music industry and not unique to either version. Mariah’s legal team, along with co-writer Walter Afanasieff, oppose Vance and Plaintiff’s claims, saying they fail the Ninth Circuit Court’s extrinsic test for substantial similarity in protectable expression.

The legal documents filed last Monday (August 12) by Carey’s team state, “Plaintiffs’ claimed similarities between Vance and Carey are unprotectable… because they are, among other things, fragmentary and commonplace building blocks of expression that Vance and Carey use differently in their overall different lyrics and music.”

In his initial complaint, Vance, whose real name is Andy Stone, argued that Carey’s song and his 1989 track share a “unique linguistic structure.” He also claimed that the phrase “all I want for Christmas is you” was a unique expression that dates back to the 1980s.

However, Carey’s team is disputing these claims, arguing there is a “lack of competent evidence that the songs share any protectable expression.” The legal team highlights that the similarities Vance and Plaintiff cite are common phrases and musical elements found in many other Christmas songs, including the use of “Santa Claus,” “mistletoe,” and other holiday tropes.

Carey’s attorneys argue that these elements, along with a few unprotectable pitches and chords, do not constitute substantial similarity. They contend that Vance and Plaintiff’s case is based on a mix of unprotectable components rather than any significant musical or lyrical overlap.

Listen to both songs above.