Some might say it is a court case worthy of its subject matter: impenetrable, verging on the farcical and wrapped up in the minutiae of Christian theology. Amid the appropriately neo-gothic setting of the High Court in London, two British-based writers yesterday claimed that The Da Vinci Code, the loosely historical murder mystery, plagiarises a book they published more than 20 years earlier.The two, who specialise in historical conjecture, claim that its author, Dan Brown, cannibalised their text, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, to give his book plausibility and to save himself "time and effort" in independent research.Michael Baigent, 52, and Richard Leigh, 62, also said that it was not just random facts that were "lifted" but the whole "architecture" and "theme" of their book.At the heart of the case is their theory that Christ did not die on the cross but married Mary Magdalene and had a child, starting a bloodline that was protected by the Knights Templar and hushed up by the Catholic Church.Brown's thriller is also based on the notion that Jesus married Mary, starting a family in France where their descendants continue to live.

While the arguments in the case will hardly trouble historians, millions of pounds of publishing profits are at stake, as is the proposed release of the film version of The Da Vinci Code.With sales of 40 million and counting since it was published in 2003, the book has become an international phenomenon, generating millions of pounds of publishing and tourism spin-offs.The film, starring Tom Hanks, Sir Ian McKellen and Audrey Tautou, is due to be released in May.Brown, a devout Christian who attended the case, emphatically denies stealing from Baigent and Leigh's work and is particularly adamant that he would never suggest that Jesus was not crucified on the cross.

View: Full Article | Source: The Telegraph

From what I hear you can't copywrite facts but you can copywrite the way that facts are organized and presented.
Those guys from Holy Bood Holy Grail had their chance. Their book was a best seller after all. I myself tried to read that book, but it's such a slow read. Sometimes confusing.
At least Dan Brown presented it in a way that made some sense and was actually quite fun to read. Although I think Angels and Demons is a better book

It seems to me that it's more of a fight over movie rights and money than any form
of plagarism. Someone is letting their greed get the better of them.

I agree. Angels and Demons was a good book.