Mariah Carey Awarded $92,000 in Legal Fees After Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Is Dismissed
Mariah Carey has been awarded more than $92,000 in attorney’s fees following the dismissal of a copyright infringement lawsuit that alleged her holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You” unlawfully copied an earlier song of the same name. The decision marks a decisive conclusion to a case that had sought $20 million in damages and reignited long-running debates around originality in popular music.
According to court documents, a federal judge ordered that $92,300 be paid to Carey by the legal counsel representing country songwriter Vince Vance, whose real name is Andy Stone. Stone filed the lawsuit in November 2023, claiming that Carey’s 1994 holiday hit infringed upon a 1988 song recorded by his band, Vince Vance & the Valiants. The court dismissed the case in March, finding that the plaintiffs failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims.
U.S. District Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani ruled that the similarities cited by Stone and his co-writer Troy Powers amounted to generic elements common to Christmas-themed music and did not demonstrate copyright infringement. In her decision, the judge emphasized that copyright law does not protect broad ideas or seasonal tropes, but rather specific and original expressions.
Beyond dismissing the lawsuit, the court took the additional step of sanctioning Stone’s legal team for what it described as improper conduct throughout the litigation. Judge Ramírez Almadani criticized the plaintiffs’ attorneys for advancing arguments that lacked credible evidence and for imposing unnecessary legal costs on the defendants.
“Although each incident of sanctionable conduct, in isolation, may not warrant more than a stern reprimand,” the judge wrote, “it is the aggregate of misconduct reflected in Plaintiffs’ Motion that makes this an egregious situation warranting more severe sanctions.” The ruling found that Carey and her co-defendants incurred “needless expenses responding to frivolous legal arguments and unsupported factual contentions.”
In total, the court imposed sanctions of $109,983, allocating $92,300 to Carey. Additional amounts were awarded to co-defendants, including Sony Music, which received more than $14,000, as well as Kobalt Publishing and producer Walter Afanasieff, who co-wrote “All I Want for Christmas Is You” with Carey. Each party was compensated for legal fees associated with responding to the lawsuit.
The court also raised concerns regarding the handling of co-plaintiff Troy Powers’ representation. In a subsequent filing, Judge Ramírez Almadani noted that recent documents submitted by Stone’s attorneys made no mention of Powers, despite his status as a named plaintiff. Attorney Gerard Fox stated that he “no longer had contact” with Powers, a claim the court found troubling.
“Until leave to withdraw is granted, Fox and Schmidt remain under a professional duty to represent Powers’ interests to the best of their ability,” the judge wrote, adding that it did not appear the attorneys had upheld their ethical obligations under the California Rules of Professional Conduct. The court ordered Fox and co-counsel Douglas M. Schmidt to submit an explanation by Jan. 5 addressing why their conduct should not result in further disciplinary action. Failure to comply could lead to additional sanctions.
Carey’s holiday anthem has previously been the subject of scrutiny and litigation, but courts have consistently rejected claims that the song unlawfully copied earlier works. Since its release, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become one of the most commercially successful holiday songs of all time, returning annually to the top of global charts and generating substantial revenue.
Neither Carey nor her legal team commented publicly on the sanctions award.
