Mariah Carey and her co-defendants won summary judgment in March 2025 in a copyright lawsuit over “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The judge found that the plaintiffs had not shown substantial similarity in protected expression. A December 2025 judgment later dismissed the case in its entirety. The appeal docket available through March 31, 2026 records both a dismissal and a motion to reinstate; it does not establish the appeal’s status on October 8, 2026.
Who sued Mariah Carey, and what did they claim?
Andy Stone, who performs as Vince Vance, and Troy Powers filed suit on November 1, 2023, against Carey, her co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and music-company defendants. They alleged that Carey and Afanasieff copied elements of the plaintiffs’ earlier song, which has the same title, including lyrics, compositional structure, chord progression, melody, and harmony. The Associated Press reported that the plaintiffs sought $20 million; that was their claimed amount, not an award or finding by the court. Court order Associated Press report
What did the judge rule?
On March 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment, denied the plaintiffs’ motion, and granted the defendants’ motion for sanctions. The ruling addressed the extrinsic test for substantial similarity, which the parties had agreed to consider in an initial expert phase. The court concluded that the plaintiffs had not established substantial similarity of protected expression. It also found shortcomings in their expert submissions, including reliance on commonplace elements without adequately distinguishing protectable expression from unprotected material. March 19 order Court ruling
This was a summary-judgment ruling, not a trial verdict. Its conclusion was about the showing made under the extrinsic test in this case; it is not a blanket rule that songs sharing common musical features cannot infringe copyright.
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What happened after summary judgment?
The March 19 order directed the defendants to submit a proposed judgment and seek a determination of reasonable attorneys’ fees. On December 23, 2025, the court entered judgment stating that Stone and Powers “take nothing” and dismissing their action “on the merits and in its entirety,” with defendants to recover costs. March 19 order December 23 judgment
Law Commentary reported on December 24, 2025, that Carey was awarded $92,300 in attorneys’ fees. That figure is the outlet’s reported amount; it should not be confused with the sanctions ruling or the judgment’s separate provision for costs. Law Commentary report
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Did Vince Vance appeal?
The plaintiffs’ Ninth Circuit appeal, case 26-826, was docketed on February 10, 2026. The docket records that the notice of appeal was filed late and that the court dismissed the appeal on March 13 after appellants did not explain why it should not be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. The appellants moved to reinstate it on March 19, and the appellees responded on March 30. The available docket snapshot was last retrieved March 31, 2026, so it does not confirm what happened afterward or the appeal’s status as of October 8, 2026. Ninth Circuit docket
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