Mariah Carey Wins Legal Fees in Copyright Case Against 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'

Mariah Carey has prevailed in a copyright lawsuit regarding her iconic holiday song "All I Want for Christmas Is You," with a federal judge ruling that the plaintiff, Andy Stone, failed to demonstrate substantial similarities between his 1989 song of the same name and Carey's. U.S. District Judge Monica Almadani criticized Stone's conduct and ordered him to repay Carey and her co-defendants over $180,000 in legal fees incurred during the case, which she described as frivolous. Carey's legal team spent 295 hours defending against Stone's claims, which included a request for $20 million in damages. The judge noted that both songs shared only common holiday themes and clichés that are not protected under copyright law. Stone's lawsuit, initially filed in 2022, was dismissed in March 2023, with the court emphasizing the lack of any significant melodic or lyrical similarities. Carey's attorneys argued that the high legal fees were justified given the drastic demands made by Stone and the overall outcome of the case.