“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a hit holiday song by Mariah Carey that has become iconic over the years. Recently, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that the song was not stolen from other songwriters. The judge, Mónica Ramírez Almadani, dismissed a music copyright case brought against Carey and her co-writer Walter Afanasieff. The two songwriters who filed the lawsuit were ordered to pay at least part of the lawyers’ fees for Carey and Afanasieff. The lawsuit sought $20 million in damages but was ultimately unsuccessful.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Andy Stone and Troy Powers, claimed that Carey and Afanasieff had access to their song, also titled “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, which was recorded by Vince Vance and the Valiants in 1988. The plaintiffs argued that the success of their song and the close timing of its release with Carey’s song pointed to a likelihood that Carey and Afanasieff had accessed their work. They also claimed that Carey’s song contained a unique linguistic structure similar to theirs and used more than 50 percent of their work in the lyrics and chords.
However, lawyers for Carey and Afanasieff argued that the music and lyrics of the two songs were completely different. They stated that the lawsuit was relying on common holiday references such as snow, mistletoe, and presents, which were not copyrightable themes. They also argued that the phrases referring to the holiday season, like “all I want for Christmas is you”, were part of a holiday vocabulary long before either song was written. Ultimately, the judge agreed with the arguments put forth by Carey and Afanasieff’s legal team.
The judge heard testimony from expert musicologists from both sides but ultimately found that there were no substantial similarities between the songs. One of the experts noted that the chord progressions and harmonic rhythms of the two songs were very different. Additionally, the two songs shared only five words relating to the holiday season. The judge ruled that the phrases used in the songs were part of a common holiday vocabulary that could not be copyrighted.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become one of the most enduring holiday singles over the past three decades. The song has spent 65 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and remains a beloved holiday classic for many. Despite the lawsuit alleging copyright infringement, the federal judge ultimately ruled in favor of Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff, dismissing the case and ordering the plaintiffs to pay some of the legal fees.
