Substitute while the actions of the article are loading
Singer Mariah Carey has been sued over her Christmas worm “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by a songwriter who claims to infringe on the copyright of his song of the same title, which was released five years before her 1994 hit.
Andy Stone, whose stage name Vince Vance & the Valiants has filed a lawsuit against 53-year-old Kerry in federal court in New Orleans on Friday. He is seeking at least $ 20 million in damages and allegations of copyright infringement and unjust enrichment, among other claims.
Kerry is mentioned in the costume together with her co-author Walter Afanasiev and the music company Sony.
Court documents describe Vance as a self-employed singer who co-wrote a song called “All I Want for Christmas is You” in 1989 and recorded it in a studio in Nashville. It was later released and “received wide coverage during the Christmas season of 1993 … began appearing on the Billboard charts.”
Kerry’s song with the same name but not the same lyrics and music was released in 1994 on her album Merry Christmas. The lawsuit alleges that Kerry and the other defendants “never sought or obtained permission” from Vance to use, reproduce or distribute the song and accused them of copyright infringement.
Here’s a look at one of the most popular copyright cases of the last decade – and how experts distinguish between infringement and inspiration. (Video: Darren Taylor, Sarah Hashemi / Washington Post)
Kerry has not yet commented publicly on the case. Sony Music did not respond immediately to a request for comment early Saturday.
Mariah Carey at a Texas bar that banned All I Want for Christmas until December 1: “It’s time”
Kerry’s song has become a Christmas classic and a major part of the holiday charts every year, making it unclear why the lawsuit has only just been filed.
Copyright usually doesn’t just apply to song titles, with dozens of “All I Want for Christmas is You” records recorded by the U.S. Copyright Office on Saturday.
Court documents say Vance’s lawyers first contacted Kerry and others in April 2021 and followed up with a letter in December. “Even after announcing his concerns to the defendants, the plaintiff failed to reach an agreement on the use of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You,'” the lawsuit said.
A man broke into an art museum in Dallas, damaging ancient artifacts, police said
Kerry, known for music hits such as “Fantasy” and “Hero”, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, calling it part of an “elite band of songwriters” on her website, and said she was ” wrote or co-wrote 18 of her 19 number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100. ”
She made her first number one hit in the United States with “Vision of Love” in 1990 and won 5 Grammy Awards, 3 Guinness World Records and the Ivor Novello Award for her distinctive 5-octave style, gaining her global popularity for her musical performances.
Kerry’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” remains hugely popular, airing more than 1 billion times on Spotify, and for some is an unofficial announcement of the start of the Christmas season. But others say it has become overplayed and annoying, with a Texas bar last year banning the song from playing before Dec. 1 and then allowing it to be played only “once a night.”
Add Comment