Image Source: Independent News
Mariah Carey is being sued for $20 million (£16 million) for copyright infringement in connection with her hit single and 1994 best-selling record, All I Want For Christmas Is You.
Andy Stone, who claims he co-wrote a song with the same name in 1989, is suing the five-time Grammy award winner and her co-writer Walter Afanasieff.
Mr. Stone argues that he did not consent or give permission to use the song. Ms. Carey and her partners “knowingly, deliberately, and purposefully participated in a campaign” to infringe on his copyright in legal documents filed in Louisiana.
According to court filings, he also accused them of operating in a way that was designed to exploit the fame and his unique style of music and “causing uncertainty.”
The words and melody of the two songs are very different.
According to the lawsuit, the defendants are also accused of “acts of unfair enrichment through the unauthorized appropriation of plaintiff’s work and the goodwill associated therewith” according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Stone is demanding $20 million (£16 million) in damages.
The song, which was first released on Ms. Carey’s 1994 album Merry Christmas, has became one of the most well-known holiday favorites, having been streamed over one billion times on Spotify.
The record went on to set several records, including becoming the best-selling Christmas album in the United States. “All I want for Christmas is you” has also sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
