Mariah Carey faces €18m copyright lawsuit over 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'
Mariah Carey faces £16 million lawsuit over All I Want For Christmas Is You (PA)
Mariah Carey is being sued for 20 million dollars (£16 million) for copyright infringement over her hit song All I Want For Christmas Is You.
The singer and her co-writer Walter Afansieff are both named in the lawsuit, which is being brought by songwriter Andy Stone.
The song was released by Carey in 1994 as part of her album Merry Christmas and has gone on to be recognised as one of the most well-known festive hits.
Read more
In legal documents filed at the US District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana, Mr Stone claims that he co-wrote the song in 1989 and has never given permission for it to be used.
The singer and her co-writer Walter Afanasieff are both named in the legal action (Ian West/PA)
The documents, obtained by the PA news agency, state that Carey and her collaborators “knowingly, willfully, and intentionally engaged in a campaign” to infringe Stone’s copyright for the song.
They added the defendants had also committed “acts of unjust enrichment by the unauthorised appropriation of plaintiff’s work and the goodwill associated therewith”.
Stone is seeking damages of 20 million dollars (€18m).
Merry Christmas was released by Columbia Records on November 1 1994 and became the best-selling US Christmas album of all time, selling more than 15 million copies worldwide.
Today's Headlines
live and kicking | Ronan Keating laughs off son Jack's claims on Love Island that he has retired
Disturbing | Chicago Fourth of July shooter identified as Donald Trump supporting rapper
FASHION VICTIM | Ian Bailey selling his own range of t-shirts for €20 a pop
controversy | Graeme McDowell says he has ‘had death threats over Saudi decision’
Terrifying | Armagh kidnapper who dragged woman ‘screaming' into car boot faces indeterminate sentence
Recovery | Michelle Heaton says her kids ‘went through things no child should’ as she battled alcoholism
Dangerous mind | Teacher tried to cover up helping students cheat with threatening ‘IRA’ letters, court told
Tragedy | One Irish man dead and another injured in US as overturned car discovered on fire
Investigation | Premier League footballer ‘arrested on suspicion of rape’ of woman in her 20s
Appalling | Burglary gang brutally beats vulnerable Carlow pensioner for just €100