Judge Orders $110K Sanctions in Carey Song Lawsuit

A federal judge has ordered nearly $110,000 in sanctions against the lawyers for two songwriters who sued Mariah Carey over her holiday hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," awarding Carey more than $92,000 to cover her legal fees in the dismissed copyright infringement case.

The ruling, issued on December 23 by U.S. District Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani in Los Angeles, stems from a lawsuit filed in November 2023 by Andy Stone, who performs as Vince Vance, and co-writer Troy Powers. The plaintiffs, members of the band Vince Vance & the Valiants, alleged that Carey's 1994 song copied elements of their 1989 track of the same title, including lyrics, melody, and overall structure. They sought at least $20 million in damages, claiming their song had received radio play in 1993 and charted on Billboard's Hot Country Singles Tracks the following year, shortly before Carey's release.

Judge Almadani dismissed the case in March, finding that the songs shared only generic holiday themes and clichés, with no substantial evidence of infringement. In her latest order, the judge described the plaintiffs' arguments as frivolous and unsupported, noting that their counsel, Gerard Fox and...