Mariah Carey won $92k in a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement on her record-breaking hit “All I Want For Christmas.”
As ScrippsNews reports, in 2023, Andy Stone of Louisiana and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed the $20 million lawsuit against Carey. The pair, claim they wrote their “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in 1988 and released in 1989. Carey released her megahit just ahead of the 1994 holiday season, which has since received routine mass popularity every year.
In the lawsuit, Stone and Powers alleged Carey’s song copied melodies, lyrics and other musical elements including the song’s “extended comparison between a loved one and trappings of seasonal luxury.”
They were seeking $20 million in damages and a trial by jury, but a federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed the case in March, stating it lacked evidence.
In an update, the judge has ordered Stone and Powers to pay Carey $92,000 to cover legal fees. The order comes as Carey’s song continues to break records and dominate the charts. The track recently celebrated its 20th week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the song with the most weeks at the top of the chart in history.