Bibliofemme News
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07/04/2006
Battle of Da Vinci Code goes to Dan Brown
American writer Dan Brown has been cleared of all charges of plagiarism relating to his bestselling book, The Da Vinci Code, by London's High Court today.
Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, the authors of a 1982 non-fiction work entitled The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail had brought a suit against Brown's publishers, Random House, claiming that he had copied their work in The Da Vinci Code.
Justice Peter Smith ruled that Brown did not copy the theme for his novel - that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child whose blood line was protected by the Knights Templar and that the Catholic Church tried to cover it up - from the earlier book.
In a statement Brown said: "Today's verdict shows that this claim was utterly without merit."
Publishers Random House welcomed the ruling, saying that it ensures novelists remain free to draw on ideas and historical research.
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