Listen closely and listen carefully to the title All I Want for Christmas Is You of Vince Vance and the Valiants. Apart from the title, it will be difficult for you to hear a similarity with Mariah Carey’s planetary hit. And yet, here is the American singer accused of copyright infringement by an artist who claims 20 million dollars in damages.
The plaintiff, Andy Stone, claims he co-wrote and recorded a song of the same name in 1989, without ever giving permission to use it, according to the text of a lawsuit filed Friday in Louisiana. He accuses the singer and Walter Afanasieff, who co-wrote the Christmas tune, of having “knowingly, voluntarily and intentionally engaged in an approach aimed at violating” his copyright.
A “confusion”, really?
Andy Stone’s song, recorded with his band Vince Vance and the Valiants, enjoyed moderate success with country music fans. If the two songs have the same title, the music and the lyrics differ. Andy Stone nevertheless criticizes the singer, some thirty years later, for having sought to “exploit the popularity and unique style” of her title, thereby creating “confusion”.
The document filed with the Louisiana court indicates that the plaintiff’s lawyers contacted Mariah Carey and her co-author last year, but were “unable to reach an agreement”. In total, some 177 songs bearing the title All I Want for Christmas Is You are registered on the website of the United States Copyright Office.