So it seems a pair of authors are convinced that author Dan Brown stole his "Da Vinci Code" framework from their 1982 non-fiction book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," and it seems like plaintiffs Michael Baigent & Richard Leigh make a pretty good argument.
From Variety: ""The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown was in London’s High Court on Monday to fight allegations from historians Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh that he stole "the whole architecture" of their research for his bestseller.
The copyright infringement action against Brown and his British publisher Random House, seeks $150 million in damages and injunctive relief blocking further distribution of the best-selling book and the movie adaptation starring Tom Hanks and Ian McKellen, which is due out May 19. Injunctions are rarely granted.
In 1982, the disgruntled duo penned the nonfiction book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," which examined the theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a child and that the Catholic church has been trying to suppress the bloodline ever since.
Brown’s book fictionalizes that theory and includes a character named Sir Leigh Teabing, a not-so-subtle anagram of Leigh and Baigent."
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Check out the full story by way of this AP/Yahoo news piece.
Expect a big cash settlement sometime soon, especially with the movie just around the corner.
