Mariah Carey's hit song "All I Want For Christmas (Is You)" has prevailed in a significant copyright battle, with a federal judge dismissing a $20 million lawsuit against the singer.

Country singer Vince Vance (Andy Stone) and co-writer Troy Powers claimed their 1989 song of the same title was copied by Carey. They based their argument on alleged "extensive airplay" in 1993 and a White House performance in 1994, suggesting Carey had access to their composition.

Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani rejected the claims, citing expert testimony from NYU professor Lawrence Ferrara, who identified at least 19 songs using similar lyrical ideas before Vance's version. The judge determined that the songs only shared "commonplace Christmas song cliches" and found no substantial similarity between the compositions.

The court ordered Vance to reimburse Carey's legal expenses, describing the plaintiffs' conduct as "egregious" and noting they caused unnecessary delays and increased litigation costs.

Carey's Christmas classic continues to be highly profitable, earning an estimated $2.5-3.3 million in annual royalties and generating over $103 million from global streaming and other revenue sources. The singer has embraced her "Queen of Christmas" status, expanding into holiday merchandise and producing an Apple Music Christmas special.

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