Because the copyright infringement case against Mariah Carey has been dropped, fans can now listen to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to their hearts’ content.
Mariah Carey was hit with a $20 million copyright infringement lawsuit for her hit Christmas song back in June, which raised some eyebrows—why is he filing a case now?
According to reports, songwriter Andy Stone claimed to have recorded and released a song with the same title in 1989 under the moniker Vince Vance And The Valiants.
He sued Carey, her co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and their record label Sony Corporation of America and Sony Music Entertainment.
According to reports, the defendants, including Carey, “knowingly, wilfully, and intentionally engaged in a campaign” to infringe copyright.
Furthermore, he claimed that Carey took advantage of his “popularity” and “style,” claiming that the song received “extensive airplay during the 1993 Christmas season” and “appeared on the Billboard Music Charts.”
The title “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is fairly common. The United States Copyright Office lists 177 entries under that title on its website.
Furthermore, several reports state that while Stone and Carey’s songs may have the same title, the two songs sound vastly different.
However, with less than a month until Christmas, the case against the pop star has been dropped, according to the BBC.
While Carey gets to keep the song, fans may be disappointed to learn that Stone can still legally refile the case if he so desires.
Carey wrote the song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” for the 53-year-old singer.
She revealed in her memoir that she wrote “most of the song on a cheap little Casio keyboard.”
The song became a massive hit, although she wrote it on a “cheap little Casio keyboard.”
“Merry Christmas,” Carey’s fourth studio and first-holiday album, was released in 1994.
It is arguably one of her most popular and successful songs to date, with fans and listeners continuing to play it every holiday season since its release.
It reportedly earned the singer-songwriter more than $60 million in royalties, which is understandable given the song’s popularity during the holiday season.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” has reached the top of the charts. It topped charts worldwide, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and others.
Although many song covers have been released since then, many people still prefer Carey’s version.
Guinness World Records refers to her as the “Songbird Supreme,” and for good reason. Her five-octave vocal range has earned her numerous accolades and awards throughout her career.
Carey rose to prominence after her debut studio album, which was named after her, was released in Huntington, New York. It topped the Billboard 200, and she received Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1991.