Mariah Carey Wins Legal Fees After Copyright Lawsuit Is Thrown Out

Mariah Carey has been awarded more than $92,000 to cover her legal costs after a copyright lawsuit against her was dismissed earlier this year.

The case centered on Carey’s iconic holiday hit All I Want for Christmas Is You. In 2023, Andy Stone of Louisiana and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed a $20 million lawsuit claiming Carey’s 1994 song copied their own country track from 1989, which shared the same title.

Stone and Powers argued that Carey’s song infringed on their copyright and asked for millions in damages, along with a jury trial. However, a federal judge in Los Angeles shut the case down in March, ruling that the claims were not backed by sufficient evidence.

Following that dismissal, the court has now ordered Stone and Powers to pay Carey and the other defendants’ legal fees, totaling more than $92,000.

The ruling comes at a time when Carey’s Christmas classic is bigger than ever. The song has continued to smash records, recently becoming the longest-running No. 1 hit in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, with a total of 20 weeks at the top.

Although the song was released in the early 1990s, it didn’t hit No. 1 until 2019. The rise of streaming helped give it new life, and it has returned to the top of the charts every holiday season since.

With the lawsuit behind her and her festive anthem still dominating the charts, Carey’s reign as the undisputed “Queen of Christmas” appears as strong as ever.