A copyright lawsuit against Mariah Carey in respect of her evergreen Christmas song ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ has been dismissed with costs by a court.
Stone and co-writer Troy Powers filed the lawsuit in November 2023, seeking $20 million in damages. They alleged Carey’s song infringed on a track released in the late 1980s by Vince Vance & the Valiants. In March 2025, the court dismissed the case, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to present sufficient evidence of copyright infringement.
Court Ruling And Judge’s Findings
In her written decision issued in December, Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani criticised the conduct of the plaintiffs’ legal team. The court stated that Carey and the other defendants incurred “needless expenses responding to frivolous legal arguments and unsupported factual contentions.” The judge ruled that financial sanctions were justified due to the cumulative nature of the conduct during the proceedings.
The court further noted that the misconduct extended beyond a single incident. In the dismissal order, the judge wrote, “It is the aggregate of misconduct reflected in Plaintiffs’ motion that makes this an egregious situation warranting more severe sanctions.”
Financial Penalties And Next Steps
Based on that finding, the court approved monetary penalties against Stone’s legal counsel.
The total sanctions amounted to $109,983. Carey received $92,300, while Sony Music, Kobalt Publishing, and producer Walter Afanasieff were also awarded portions of the costs. The court placed responsibility for payment on the plaintiffs’ lawyers rather than the defendants.
The judge also raised concerns about the handling of co-plaintiff Troy Powers’ representation. Lawyers involved were ordered to explain why their failure to comply with professional conduct rules should not lead to disciplinary action. They were given until 5 January to respond, with further sanctions possible if no reply was filed.
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