Mariah Carey has prevailed in a copyright lawsuit after a songwriter accused her of stealing lyrics from her holiday classic All I Want for Christmas Is You.

On Tuesday, a federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed the copyright claim filed by songwriter Andy Stone (stage name Vince Vance) against Carey. The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to demonstrate sufficient similarity between his song and Carey’s to support an infringement claim.

Stone’s track, released in 1989 by Vince Vance and the Valiants, appeared on Billboard’s country charts during several holiday seasons in the 1990s. Carey’s song was released on her 1994 album Merry Christmas and has since become a seasonal phenomenon, topping the Billboard Hot 100 every holiday season since 2019.

Stone and co-writer Troy Powers filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging Carey copied lyrical and musical elements and seeking at least $20 million in damages. Carey countered that the songs are “entirely different,” arguing that any shared elements—such as snow, mistletoe, gifts under the Christmas tree, and longing for a loved one—are common to many Christmas songs.

On March 19, the court concluded that the songs are not similar enough in melody, lyrics, or other musical elements for a jury to find infringement. The judge also imposed sanctions on the plaintiffs, ordering them to pay part or all of Carey’s legal fees as a penalty for filing a frivolous lawsuit.

In a statement to Variety, the plaintiffs’ attorney said they may consider appealing the ruling. Carey’s representatives have not commented. Notably, Carey also won a separate copyright lawsuit in 2002 involving her hit “Thank God I Found You.”