When you hear the phrase “All I Want for Christmas is You,” it’s safe to assume that you think of Mariah Carey’s smash holiday hit that takes over radio stations and store speakers once winter rolls around.
But one musician is claiming he had rights to that song title first, and is suing Carey for millions.
Songwriter Andy Stone filed a lawsuit against Carey last week in New Orleans, claiming that he co-wrote a song by the same title that was produced five years before Carey’s. Stone, who is artistically known Vince Vance, is seeking at least $20 million in damages for copyright infringement, misappropriation and other claims from Carey, her co-writer Walter Afanasieff, Sony Corporation of America and its subsidiary Sony Music Entertainment, NBC reports.
Stone’s version of the song was released in 1989, while Carey’s was released in 1994 as part of her holiday album. The 1994 hit has since taken over the charts and become one of the most recognizable holiday songs in the U.S.
According to the lawsuit, the only similarity between Carey’s song and Stone’s song is the title -- and titles are typically covered by copyright law, because they’re often too short and too vague to be considered specifically unique to one song or artist. Titles are often reused throughout songs, films, poems and more, even unintentionally.
Carey and Sony have yet to comment on the lawsuit.