Easter decision in Da Vinci case

Mar 21 2006

Daily Post

THE protagonists in the High Court copyright row over The Da Vinci Code must wait to learn the outcome of the case. Mr Justice Peter Smith announced yesterday that he would take time to consider his decision and hoped to give judgment before Easter. The book's author, Dan Brown, who is reputed to have made £200m since it was published three years ago, stands accused of stealing his central theme from a 1982 best-seller, The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, which suggests that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, they had children and their descendants survived until the present day. The authors of the earlier work, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, are claiming damages against Dan Brown's publisher, Random House - which also published their book. On the final day of the hearing, the claimant's counsel, Jonathan Rayner James QC, argued that Dan Brown's evidence denying he had copied material from their book should be viewed with "deep suspicion". Story continues ADVERTISEMENT Mr Brown had claimed he had not read their book until a late stage in the production of The Da Vinci Code. "He had almost no recollection of matters that related to issues of timing," said counsel.. Mr Brown had admitted that much of the research for the novel was carried out by his wife, Blythe, who did not appear in court. "The evidence of Blythe Brown was of fundamental importance to this case," said Mr James.. "It was crucial in revealing the dependency on The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail and the extent to which she relied upon it." Mr Brown had said he did not want his wife involved because she not like the glare of publicity.

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