An artist named Andy Stone sued Mariah Carey for $20 million over the rights to her hit song, “All I Want For Christmas.”
Stone came after Carey with allegations of copyright infringement, citing that he co-wrote and recorded a song by the very same name a couple years before Carey did, TMZ reported Friday.
Stone claimed his original recording dates back to 1989 and said he is able to substantiate his song’s authenticity. He claims his song got extensive airplay and was such a hit that it made it to the Billboard Charts during the 1993 Christmas season, according to TMZ. Mariah’s version was released in 1994.
Mariah Carey is being sued for copyright infringement over her famous song ‘All I Want For Christmas is You.’ https://t.co/SkxMQbz83p
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 3, 2022
Stone’s lawsuit indicates Carey and her representatives failed to acquire permission to use the title for her Christmas song, for which he had even released a music video, according to TMZ.
The two songs may share the same title, but they differ dramatically in every other way. The lyrics and melodies are completely different, and are not part of the dispute. The copyright to the title is the focal point of the lawsuit, according to TMZ. (RELATED: REPORT: Pastor Sues Kanye West For Alleged Copyright Infringement)
Carey’s version of the song is a wildly successful blockbuster hit that continues to rake in an astounding amount of money. Her version has already generated an estimated $600,000 per year in royalties and has brought in $60 million to date, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Carey’s song is the best-selling Christmas single by a female artist overall, reported the outlet.
In 2021, Carey exceeded a billion streams of the song, according to TMZ.
Neither Carey nor her camp have publicly commented about this legal matter, according to TMZ.