Mariah Carey has officially won the legal battle over her Christmas hit, All I Want for Christmas Is You, after a U.S. judge dismissed a copyright lawsuit that claimed she had copied an earlier song.
The lawsuit, brought by musician Adam Stone—who performs under the name Vince Vance—alleged that Carey’s 1994 holiday anthem bore striking similarities to a song he released with the same title in 1989.
He sought at least $20 million in damages, accusing Carey of exploiting his “popularity” and musical “style.”
However, in a ruling issued Wednesday, Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani rejected the claims, stating that the two songs shared only “common Christmas song clichés” and lacked substantial similarities.
Music experts hired by Carey’s legal team also testified that there was no meaningful melodic resemblance between the two tracks.
Adding further weight to the decision, the judge criticized Stone’s legal team for filing what she described as a “frivolous” case, filled with vague and incoherent arguments. As a result, she ordered Stone and his lawyers to cover Carey’s legal fees, potentially costing them millions.
Stone had initially filed the lawsuit in 2022, arguing that his song had received widespread airplay in 1993—just before Carey’s track was written and released.
Carey, however, has long maintained that she composed the song on a simple keyboard while watching It’s a Wonderful Life, before refining it with her co-writer Walter Afanasieff.
Carey’s legal team pushed for dismissal last year, pointing out that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a common phrase that had already appeared in numerous holiday songs before Stone’s 1989 release.
They further argued that elements like Santa, mistletoe, and longing for love during Christmas were standard festive themes that couldn’t be copyrighted.
The ruling marks a decisive victory for Carey, whose song continues to dominate holiday charts every year, raking in an estimated $8.5 million annually.
Meanwhile, the legal defeat has left Stone not only without compensation but also facing significant financial penalties for pursuing the case.
Neither Mariah Carey nor Adam Stone has publicly commented on the decision.
