Mariah Carey Sued For Copyright Infringement Over “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
Via CNN:
Mariah Carey was sued on Friday over her 1994 Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by a songwriter who said he co-wrote a song with the same title five years earlier. In a complaint filed in New Orleans federal court, Andy Stone is seeking at least $20 million in damages from Carey, her co-writer and Sony Music Entertainment for copyright infringement and misappropriation, among other claims.
Stone, who performs as Vince Vance with the country-pop band Vince Vance & the Valiants, accused the defendants of having illegally exploited his “popularity and unique style” and caused confusion by recording the newer song without his permission. Carey’s and Stone’s songs have different lyrics and melodies.
[CNN]
As the report notes (and as you can see by comparing the videos below), the songs have completely different lyrics and melodies. Therefore, Stone is suing over the song title, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but song titles (and book titles, movie titles, etc.) are not protected by copyright law. So, while the unknown country musician will be swiftly laughed out of court, I hope Mariah Carey countersues him for $100,000,000 dollars and ruins his worthless life forever.
