Pop diva Mariah Carey has been sued $20 million for "copyright infringement" over the hit 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', the New York Post reported, citing official documents it acquired of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by Andy Stone, the founder of Vince Vance & the Valiants country pop and rock group from New Orleans. The band released a song of the same title in 1989, four years before Carey released hers.
Stone claims Carey never sought or obtained use of his title for her hit. He is suing the pop diva for $20 million in damages. Stone has also filed a civil suit against Walter Afanasieff, Carey's co-writer on 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'.
According to the documents, quoted by the New York Post, Stone insists that Carey and Afanasieff “knowingly, willfully and intentionally engaged in a campaign to infringe [Stone’s] copyright in the work … to the commercial gain, personal profit and unjust enrichment of the defendants and the irreparable injury and financial loss” of Stone.
Released more than 20 years ago on the album Merry Christmas, the song has sold 15 million copies worldwide. In 2020, it reached No 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and was also named the most streamed track on Spotify in 24 hours, according to Guinness World Records.