A Mississippi musician is suing Mariah Carey for $20 million. Allegedly, the iconic singer "stole" his song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and denied him the income he was entitled to from the tune.
Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff Faces $20M Lawsuit
In the complaint, which was filed on Friday (June 3) in Louisiana district court by attorneys Douglas Schmidt and Andrew Abrams, Vince Vance (née Andy Stone) claims Carey and her "All I Want" co-writer Walter Afanasieff have been unjustly enriching themselves at his expense. The complaint alleged that the two have willfully infringed on his copyright of the song and have since then, earned huge sums from it.
Sony Corporation of America, Afanasieff, and Sony Music, which published "All I Want for Christmas Is You" on Columbia Records, are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
According to Vance, who describes himself as a "self-employed artist," he co-wrote the song of the same name in 1989, recorded it in a Nashville studio.
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" Already Part of Another Record Label?
As another evidence that the song is his, it was alleged to have been released along with a music video on the Valient 92689 record label. Vance's song, which was recorded under the moniker Vince Vance & The Valiants, is currently available on streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube. Those interested can certainly go and check it out.
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"Defendants, have knowingly, willfully, and intentionally engaged in a campaign to infringe Plaintiff's copyright in the work 'All I Want for Christmas is You' and to commit acts of unjust enrichment by the unauthorized appropriation of Plaintiff's work and the goodwill associated therewith," the complaint read.
The lawsuit does not specify when Vance first heard Carey's rendition, despite Vance's assertion that he learned of it "through the Internet and interstate commerce."
The lawsuit asserts that while Carey and her co-defendants' have been enriching themselves from Vance's song, he was on the other hand, suffering "financial and professional damage." The complaint added that Mariah Carey had deliberately used her fame to her advantage and knew that a confusion will ensue as to who the real owner of the song is.
The complaint also states that Vance's attorneys contacted the defendants in April and December of 2021, but "were unable to reach an agreement over usage" of the music. "Subsequently, Plaintiff personally requested that Defendants cease and desist from further distribution of Plaintiff's work," the suit continues.
Vance is seeking damages "in an amount not less than" $20 million, in addition to court costs and attorney fees.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is one of the most popular holiday songs in history. It was released in October 1994 as the first single from Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas album. It has re-charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 over the holiday season for the past three years.
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