WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | "Da Vinci Code" copyright case returns to London court

"Da Vinci Code" copyright case returns to London court

(London-NBC) March 7, 2006 - An author who is suing the publishers of the "The Da Vinci Code" admitted Tuesday in a British court that he had exaggerated his case that the best-selling novel had copied his work.

Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, authors of the 1982 nonfiction book "The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail," are suing Random House, the publisher of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code."

They claim that parts of their work formed the basis of Brown's novel, which has sold more than 40 million copies and has been made into a film starring Tom Hanks.

The suit resumed at London's high court Tuesday, after a week long break to give the judge time to read both books and related materials.

Baigent was first on the stand to face cross-examination by James Baldwin, a lawyer representing Random House.

Baldwin said the author should not have relied on book reviews to back up claims that Brown had taken 15 central plot points from his work, claims Baigent made in a written witness statement presented at the beginning of the trial.

Baldwin said the claims were false, suggesting many of the reviews did not touch on the central themes Baigent claimed were copied from his work.

After a pause, Baigent agreed.

Lawyers for Random House have said ideas about the life and legacy of Jesus Christ are so general that they are not protected by copyright.

Baigent and Leigh's lawyers say they were not attempting to claim a monopoly on ideas or historical debate, but to prove brown had "relied heavily" on their earlier work.

If the writers succeed in securing an injunction to bar the use of their material, they could hold up the scheduled May 19th release of "The Da Vinci Code" film.

Brown is expected to testify in the case later this week.

Posted 2:16pm by Bryce Mursch