Mariah Carey has been cleared of copyright infringement in a case over her 1994 Christmas staple, ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’.
In a ruling, a US judge rejected the allegations of songwriter Adam Stone, who released a song with the same name in 1989. He accused Mariah Carey of exploiting his “popularity” and “style”.
Mr Stone, who performs under the name Vince Vance, was claiming at least $20m (£16m) in damages.
But in her ruling, Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani cited expert testimony saying the two songs simply shared “Christmas song clichés” that were common to several earlier hits.
Mr Stone and his lawyers had not “met their burden of showing that [the songs by] Carey and Vance are substantially similar,” she wrote.
Judge Almandi also ruled that Mr Stone and his lawyers should face sanctions for filing “frivolous” arguments, that included “vague… and incomprehensible mixtures of factual assertions and conclusions, subjective opinions, and other irrelevant evidence”.
She ordered Mr Stone and his lawyers to repay the legal bills Mariah Carey incurred in defending the case.
The case was originally filed in 2022, with Mr Stone claiming Mariah Carey’s hit was copied from a song he’d recorded under the name Vince Vance and the Valiants.
Mariah Carey’s lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case last August, arguing that Mr Stone had failed to establish copyright infringement.
In the ruling, Judge Almadani endorsed two reports from musicologists hired by Carey’s team.
In one, New York University professor Lawrence Ferrara testified there were “no significant melodic similarities” between the two tracks.
He added he’d discovered “at least 19 songs” predating Mr Stone’s track that had similar lyrical ideas – several of which were also called ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
A similar report filed by the defence was ruled inadmissible, especially after its author admitted in a deposition that the melodies of the two songs were incomparable because “the rhythms are different”.
On that basis, Judge Almadani ruled in favor of the motion to dismiss.
Neither Mariah Carey nor Mr Stone were immediately available for comment on the ruling.
Mariah Carey, Anderson .Paak Spark Dating Rumors
Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak are setting the rumor mill ablaze with dating allegations.
After first igniting speculation last year, things took a steamy turn when the “Silk Sonic” crooner joined Mariah Carey onstage to accept the prestigious Icon Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in March.
Naturally, fans are dying to know if these two are more than just friends.
Despite the buzz, neither Carey nor Anderson has officially confirmed their relationship status. However, all eyes were on them once again at the 2025 iHeartRadio Awards.
It all kicked off in December 2024 when the dynamic duo was spotted at celeb-favorite Catch Steak in Aspen, Colo.
Eyewitnesses spotted the “We Belong Together” singer and the “Leave the Door Open” maestro holding hands as they strolled into the restaurant, with Anderson playing the gentleman by holding the door open for Carey.
Sources tried to downplay the chemistry, revealing that they were “not a couple,” just “working on new music.”
But just days later, they were seen locked in a more intimate display at Duemani Restaurant, where the chemistry was undeniable.
.Paak reportedly kissed Carey’s hand, further fueling speculation that their connection runs deeper than mere collaboration.
One eyewitness added they were “very touchy-feely” all evening. In one heart-melting photo, Mariah Carey rested her hand on .Paak’s chest.
The magic was palpable as .Paak assisted Carey on stage to accept her Icon Award, and fans couldn’t help but notice them holding hands in the audience.
Cameras frequently panned to .Paak during Carey’s acceptance speech, leading to more questions than answers.
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