Mariah Carey sued for her hit song "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion pay tribute to Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston 0:59

(Reuters) --

Mariah Carey was sued on Friday over her 1994 Christmas classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by a songwriter who said she co-wrote a song with the same title five years earlier.

In a lawsuit 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.

• Mariah Carey is the first artist to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in four different decades.

Stone, who performs as Vince Vance with the country-pop band Vince Vance & the Valiants, accused of illegally exploiting his "popularity and unique style" and causing confusion by recording the new song without his permission.

Carey and Stone's songs have different lyrics and melodies.

Spokespeople for Carey and Sony Music did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Carey's song was featured on her album "Merry Christmas" and has long received widespread play on the radio and in retail settings during the holiday season.

It has also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart every year since 2019, despite being recorded a quarter of a century earlier.

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" was Carey's nineteenth number-one song, one less than the Beatles.

Stone said that his own song had received "wide airplay" during the 1993 holiday season and also appeared on the Billboard charts.

It was not made clear in the complaint when Stone first learned of Carey's song.

The complaint says Stone's attorneys first contacted the defendants in April 2021 about their alleged unauthorized use, but "were unable to reach any agreement."

Stone's attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

Mariah Carey