The calendar just turned June, which means it’s still supposed to take two months for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to hit the airwaves at nearly every radio station, TV station, and mall across the globe. Since its release in 1994, the Christmastime tune has become a favorite with holiday lovers. Now, Carrie finds herself embroiled in a legal battle over the song’s name.
On Friday, musician Andy Stone sued the pop star alleging that Carey and song co-writer Walter Afanasyev raised the name of their song from One Stone — which performs as part of Vince Vance & The Valiants under the name Vince Vance — released the previous year.
According to the lawsuit, the feuding names caused the songs to be confused despite not sharing the songs or melodies. Stone is seeking at least $20 million in damages through the lawsuit. The BBC Carey reports have earned nearly $60 million in royalties since the song was first released.
“Even after informing the defendants of the concerns, Plai ntiff was unable to reach any agreement on the use of All I Want For Christmas Is You,” the complaint reads in part. Then, the plaintiff personally requested that the defendants cease and desist from further distributing the plaintiff’s business. Despite the plaintiff’s request, the defendants continue to exploit the plaintiff’s business, reaping massive financial rewards and other financial benefits at the plaintiff’s expense.”
There are over 100 songs registered with the United States Copyright Office called “All I Want for Christmas is You,” many of which were written before the plaintiff’s song. #Mariah Carey #titlesarentcopyrightable pic.twitter.com/LPYCQEGMF4
– Aaron Moss (@copyrightlately) 4 June 2022
Some copyright attorneys have spoken out against the filing because the titles of songs, movies, books, and other created works are not traditionally copyrighted. These usually fall under trademark protection under certain circumstances.
“There are more than 100 songs registered with the US Copyright Office titled All I Want for Christmas is You,” copyright attorney Aaron Moss wrote on Twitter. “And many of it was written before the plaintiff’s song.”
Carey’s song has topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart every year since 2019, largely due to her success across various social media platforms.
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