Mariah Carey sued for $27 million over copyright of Christmas hit

The singer has been hit with a lawsuit after claims the 1994 song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was copyrighted.

Musician Andy Stone has brought forward the case to the New Orleans federal court and is alleging that Carey copied a song (without permission) he had co-written five years earlier with the same title. Mr Stone is seeking damages worth US$20 million (A$27.7 million), stating that co-writer Walter Afanasieff and Carey “knowingly, wilfully and intentionally engaged in a campaign” to copyright.

She, Afanasieff and Sony Music Entertainment are being sued for copyright infringement and misappropriation and “acts of unjust enrichment by the unauthorized appropriation of [the] plaintiff’s work and the goodwill associated therewith”.

Mr Stone claims that he recorded “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with his band Vince Vance & the Valiants back in 1989. Making up part of his evidence is a music video that was released before Carey’s 1994 hit, as well as some success on the Billboard charts in 1993.

He also attempted to contact the defendants last year however was “unable to come to an agreement”. His lawsuit comes 28 years after Carey’s song was released.

The song has been inducted into music history as one of the biggest hits of all time. Over 16 million copies of the single have been sold, with the Economist reporting that she’s made over US$60 million profit off the song since 1994.