Bibliofemme News
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27/02/2006
Brown Da Vinci Code court case opens today
Dan Brown, the author of controversial novel The Da Vinci Code, is in
London's High Court today to defend a breach of copyright claim.
Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who wrote 1982 non-fiction book The Holy
Blood and the Holy Grail with Henry Lincoln, are suing Brown's publishers,
claiming that Brown stole the whole "architecture" of their non-fiction
work - the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child.
If successful, the two authors could seek an order blocking further
infringement of their copyright, which would affect sales of The Da Vinci
Code in the UK as well as the British distribution of Columbia Pictures'
movie adaptation, copyright law experts said.
The novel has sold about 40 million copies globally since its publication in
2003.
"It's a hugely important case, in part because it relates to the world's
best-selling book, but also because of the principle of law involved,'' Paul
Sutton, a lawyer representing Baigent and Leigh, said in an interview on 24
February.
Hearings in the case begin today. The film, directed by Ron Howard, is
scheduled to open in the UK on May 19 after premiering at the Cannes Film
Festival in southern France.
Bibliofemme News:
Baigent and Leigh sue Da Vinci publisher
Court date agreed for Da Vinci trial
Bibliofemme Reviews:
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
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