Mariah Carey sued again over ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’
Lawsuit FILE PHOTO: Mariah Carey rehearses for the 82nd annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center on December 3, 2014 in New York City. She is being sued once again for copyright infringement over her song "All I Want for Christmas Is You." (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The Queen of Christmas is being sued once again for her quintessential holiday song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Andy Stone and Troy Powers are seeking at least $20 million from Carey, saying that they also wrote a song with the same name in 1989.
Stone sued before, saying that Carey copied the track after their version was played on the radio and hit the Billboard country charts in 1993, People magazine reported. They said the two songs have the same lyrical hook, and melody, claiming that Carey “palmed off these works with her incredulous origin story, as if those works were her own,” TMZ reported.
Fox News reported that Stone claims that he and Powers consider “approximately 50%” of the song is based on copyright infringement, according to court documents.
Stone alleged that Carey copied the “compositional structure of an extended comparison between a loved one and trappings of seasonal luxury, and further includes several of Plaintiffs’ lyrical phrases,” NBC News reported.
Stone said his band, Vince Vance and the Valiants, performed the song at the White House in 1994, the same year Carey released her song, Fox News reported.
Carey’s representatives have not responded to requests from TMZ, NBC News and Fox News for comment.
In addition to Carey, Walter Afanasieff, the co-creator of her song, Sony Music and Universal Music Group are also named, according to NBC News.
This isn’t the first time Stone has sued the songstress. He first filed a suit in 2022 in Louisiana but then dropped the case, according to People magazine.
Carey’s version of the song has been on the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold more than 10 million copies. Over the past two years, Carey has invested in the transition from Halloween to the Christmas season by releasing videos announcing that “It’s time” on social media.
This year’s version had more than 70 million views and 2.7 million likes on Instagram.
Stone and Powers are asking for a jury trial, People magazine reported.
Carey isn’t the only person to sing her version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Kelly Clarkson covered it in 2020 and included her version on the album, “When Christmas Comes Around...” in 2021, according to People magazine.
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years Here are some memorable photos of singer Mariah Carey through the years. (James Devaney/WireImage via Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1990: Actor Patrick Swayze and singer Mariah Carey share the set of NBC-TV's "Saturday Night Live" during rehearsal Thursday, Oct. 25, 1990, in New York, in Midtown Manhattan for the broadcast which will feature Swayze as guest host. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1991: Mariah Carey holds her Grammy awards backstage at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Feb. 20, 1991. She won Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1993: Award winning singer Mariah Carey leaves St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York on Saturday, June 5, 1993, following her wedding to Sony Music President Thomas Mottola. (AP Photo/Mike Alexander)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1994: Mariah Carey performs a benefit for the Fresh Air Fund at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on Thursday, Dec. 8, 1994. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1997: Mariah Carey attends the 1997 MTV Video Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. (Brenda Chase/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1998: In this Sept. 10, 1998 file photo, Mariah Carey, left, and Whitney Houston present the award for Best Male Video during the MTV Video Music Awards, in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 1999: Mariah Carey arrives at the Essence Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 30, 1999. (Diane Freed/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2001: Singer Mariah Carey performing onstage on a Swarovski crystal-encrusted motorcycle at the 2001 VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on October 19, 2001. (Scott Gries/ImageDirect via Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2002: Singer Mariah Carey performs with Santa Claus on stage during KIIS FM's Jingle Ball Concert at the Arrowhead Pond on December 19, 2002, in Anaheim, California. (Robert Mora/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2003: Singer Mariah Carey performs on stage at the halftime celebration during the 2003 NBA All-Star game at Phillips Arena on February 9, 2003, in Atlanta. (Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2004: Singer Mariah Carey arrives at her Halloween party at Cain on October 31, 2004, in New York City. (Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2005: Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri perform onstage during a taping for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation benefit concert at the Beacon Theater on April 9, 2005, in New York City. (Scott Gries/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2006: Singer Mariah Carey poses with her Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song awards in the press room at the 48th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 8, 2006, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2007: Singer Mariah Carey appears onstage during BET's 106 & Park at BET Studios October 22, 2007, in New York City. (Scott Gries/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2008: Singer Mariah Carey performs at Babylon Court at Hollywood and Highland on July 31, 2008, in Hollywood, California. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2009: Actress/singer Mariah Carey and actor Nick Cannon arrive at the screening of "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" during AFI FEST 2009 held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 1, 2009, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2010: Singer/actress Mariah Carey arrives at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 17, 2010, in Beverly Hills, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2011: Recording artist Mariah Carey poses at a press conference to announce that she is the new Jenny Craig Brand Ambassador at Four Seasons Hotel New York on November 9, 2011, in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2012: Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon during their wedding vows renewal ceremony photo call on April 27, 2012, in Paris. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2013: "American Idol" judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj are seen onstage during Fox's "American Idol 2013" Finale Results Show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on May 16, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2014: Singer-actress Mariah Carey and TV personality Nick Cannon attend the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 18, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2015: Singer Mariah Carey is honored with Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 5, 2015, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2016: Singer Mariah Carey performs on stage during the 2016 Essence Festival presented by Coca-Cola at the Louisiana Superdome on July 2, 2016, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2016 Essence Festival)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2017: TV personality Nick Cannon, Moroccan Scott Cannon, singer Mariah Carey and Monroe Cannon at Nickelodeon's 2017 Kids' Choice Awards at USC Galen Center on March 11, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2018: Mariah Carey performs onstage during the 2018 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on October 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images For dcp)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2019: Mariah Carey attends Heidi Klum's 20th annual Halloween Party presented by Amazon Prime Video and Svedka Vodka at Cathédrale New York on October 31, 2019, in New York City. (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for SVEDKA)
Photos: Mariah Carey through the years 2020: Mariah Carey attends the premiere of Tyler Perry's "A Fall From Grace" at Metrograph on January 13, 2020, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Photos: Mariah Carey though the years Mariah Carey performs onstage during Global Citizen Festival 2022: New York at Central Park on September 24, 2022 in New York City. (NOAM GALAI/Getty Images for Global Citizen)