When you think of Christmas, a particular Mariah Carey tune often springs to mind.
But it would seem the All I Want for Christmas Is You singer’s attempts at monetising the festive season have been rebuffed.
Carey tried to trademark the title Queen of Christmas, but her attempts have been denied.
The singer’s application was turned down by the US Patent and Trademark Office after another singer famed for her Christmas songs objected.
Despite many of her songs being the unofficial anthem of the holiday season, it would seem the decision means that Carey is in fact not the “Queen of Christmas” or even the season’s “princess”, for that matter.
Carey’s company Lotion LLC attempted to trademark the title last year, which sparked a legal challenge by fellow singer Elizabeth Chan.
Who is Elizabeth Chan?
Chan is a New-York based musician who creates music specifically for both Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Chan was originally dubbed “Queen of Christmas” by the New Yorker back in 2018, after releasing Christmas-themed albums every year since 2011.
Speaking to a magazine, Chan said: “I feel very strongly that no one person should hold on to anything around Christmas or monopolise it in the way that Mariah seeks to in perpetuity.
“That’s just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone. It’s meant to be shared; it’s not meant to be owned.”
It would seem the battle of Christmas Queens not only includes the pair, as another singer known for her Christmas song Baby Please Come Home and other festive covers, Darlene Love, spoke on Facebook proclaiming that she was in fact the “Queen of Christmas” before Carey even became a household name.
The success of All I Want For Christmas Is You
All I Want for Christmas Is You is Carey’s fourth studio album, written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff and released in 1994.
The song was described as “one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon” by the New Yorker.
It became the best-selling holiday song by a female artist, and one of the best-selling singles in music history, earning more than $60 million in royalties.
Other Christmas songs by Carey include Miss You Most (At Christmas Time), When Christmas Comes (Feat. John Legend), Oh, Santa! (Feat. Ariana Grande And Jennifer Hudson), and Joy To The World.
