Dan Brown - new book: The Lost Symbol

hamizao

Posted on Wed, Mar. 08, 2006

JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON - A writer who claims "The Da Vinci Code" copied from his work insisted in court Wednesday that there were specific echoes of his book in the best-selling thriller.

Michael Baigent conceded there were many differences in detail between "The Da Vinci Code" and his 1982 nonfiction book "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," but said the similarities were "fairly specific."

John Baldwin, a lawyer for "Da Vinci Code" publisher Random House, read passages from the novel aloud in London's High Court to stress the differences from the earlier book, which proposed that a secret order called the Priory of Sion existed to preserve the bloodline founded by Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.

"There's no mention of the Priory's oath to keep its true nature hidden in 'The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail,' is there?" Baldwin asked. Baigent replied: "No. I concede that."
"There's no mention of the Priory protecting the tomb of Mary Magdalene, is there?" Baldwin asked
.
"Not explicitly, no," Baigent said.
Baigent and his co-author Richard Leigh are suing Random House for infringing the copyright of their book. They claim Dan Brown's blockbuster "appropriated the architecture" of their work, which explores theories that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, that the couple had a child, and that the bloodline survives.

If the writers succeed in securing an injunction to bar the use of their material, they could hold up the scheduled May 19 release of "The Da Vinci Code" film starring Tom Hanks.
Judge Peter Smith told Baigent that it appeared some theories put forward in "The Da Vinci Code" were "exactly the opposite" of passages in the earlier book.

Smith said Dan Brown's book used some of the same material "and comes up with an entirely different plot. Are you saying they can't do that?"

"No, I'm not, my lord," said Baigent.

Baigent said differences between the two works were to be expected.

"We were writing historical conjecture, and Mr. Brown was writing a novel," he said.
But he insisted that Brown "used the results of our historical conjecture without going through the stepping stones."

Random House lawyers have done their best to demolish the authors' claim in court, arguing that the ideas in dispute are so general they are not protected by copyright.

Random House attorney John Baldwin also said many of the ideas in "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" did not feature in Brown's book, a mixture of code-breaking, art history, religion and mystical lore that has sold more than 40 million copies since it was published in 2003.

Under cross-examination Tuesday, the New Zealand-born Baigent admitted he had exaggerated claims that "The Da Vinci Code" borrowed from his work.

Baldwin questioned his claim in a written witness statement that book reviews agreed Brown had used a thriller plot to disseminate the central theme of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."

Baigent replied: "I think my language was infelicitous, and I think I have to agree with you on that."

The exchange was watched by Brown, who is attending the case and is expected to take the stand later in the week.

The third author of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," Henry Lincoln, is not involved in the case. A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Paul Sutton, refused to say why he was not participating.

Lincoln, who is in his 70s and reportedly in poor health, could not be reached for comment.

hamizao

Dan Brown "astounded" at plagiarism claim
By Mike Collett-White
Mon Mar 13, 12:25 PM ET



Dan Brown

LONDON (Reuters) - Author Dan Brown said on Monday he was "astounded" at allegations by two historians that he copied their work wholesale when writing his best-selling religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code."

In a statement released after he took the witness stand, the 41-year-old pointed out that he had credited the work of Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh in his novel.

"I would like to restate that I remain astounded by the claimants' choice to file this plagiarism suit," he said.

"For them to suggest, as I understand they do, that I have hijacked and exploited their work is simply untrue."

The two historians, who have already given evidence, are suing Brown's British publisher Random House, which also publishes their own 1982 work of historical conjecture, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."



Leigh and Baigent  

Both books deal with the theme of Jesus marrying and having a child by Mary Magdalene and their bloodline being protected by the mysterious Priory of Sion, a theory that has been greeted with outrage by some Catholic leaders.

But Random House's lawyers say the ideas are too general to protect by copyright, there are many differences between the two books and Brown drew on a number of sources.

The U.S. author was asked during cross-examination about his working practices and those of his wife Blythe, who helped him research some of his books, including The Da Vinci Code.

She emerged as a key source both of his research and his ideas, carrying out groundwork for The Da Vinci Code while Brown completed the novel "Deception Point."

"In that period, when I'm finishing Deception Point, she's probably amassing information for another book, information that's going to be dumped on me shortly thereafter," Brown told a courtroom packed with reporters from around the world.

Wearing a yellow tie, blue shirt and blue jacket, the millionaire author appeared to tire toward the end of a grueling day of questioning.

ATTRIBUTION

Brown said in his statement: "Messieurs Baigent and Leigh are only two of a number of authors who have written about the bloodline story and yet I went out of my way to mention them for being the ones who brought the theory to mainstream attention."

In the novel, one of Brown's main characters is named Leigh Teabing -- an anagram of "Baigent" -- and he refers directly to The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail in the narrative.

Brown's 69-page witness statement described how he and Blythe struggled to make ends meet during his early days as a writer, and how he composed the main synopsis of The Da Vinci Code in a cramped laundry room in his parents' house.

He said he woke at 4 a.m. every day.

"In addition to starting early, I keep an antique hourglass on my desk and every hour break briefly to do push-ups, sit-ups, and some quick stretches. I find this helps keep the blood (and ideas) flowing."

The publicity-shy author referred to the drawbacks of fame, and explained in a separate statement why he did not want Blythe to appear in court.

"Since publication of The Da Vinci Code, I have been subjected to many instances of harassment," he said. "I did not want my wife to be troubled by it ... I have been thoroughly jostled by the press and my wife would have hated it."

With an estimated 40 million copies of The Da Vinci Code sold worldwide, and the potential for an important copyright precedent to be set, the stakes are high at London's High Court.

But the proceedings are not expected to affect a major Hollywood adaptation of the book starring Tom Hanks, which is due for release in May.

Justice Peter Smith said Brown was due to finish giving evidence on Wednesday and for the case to end next Monday. It could be weeks before he delivers his judgment.

[ Last edited by hamizao at 14-3-2006 03:04 PM ]

Nara_Gaara

Salam...

Nara belum baca lagi buku2 Dan Brown tapi mmg nak bli dlm masa terdekat.Can anyone tell me which book should i read first?
TQ...

periwinkle..

Nara,

Buku dan brown ni semua stand alone, tak perlu baca in sequence, tapi yang paling best sekali mesti la the Davinci Code. Buku davinci tu yang latest, bila dah meletup, buku-buku yang dia dah tulis sebelum ni pun jadi popular..yang paling close cerita dengan davinci code ialah Angel & Demon, tapi kalau you dah baca davinci code, you mesti dah boleh agak jalan cerita dia... setting je berbeza..

hamizao

Originally posted by periwinkle.. at 15-3-2006 08:55 AM
Nara,

Buku dan brown ni semua stand alone, tak perlu baca in sequence, tapi yang paling best sekali mesti la the Davinci Code. Buku davinci tu yang latest, bila dah meletup, buku-buku yang dia d ...

Benar kata periwinkle dan Hami nak tambah sikit sahaja lagi.

Untuk mendapatkan kefahaman ttg latar belakang terma2 yang diguna oleh Dan Brown dan juga yang menjadi bahan penyelidikan yang di ajukan dalam The Holy Blood & Holy Grail ada satu lagi buku "Secrets of the Codes" oleh Dan Burnstein yang seperti "kamus".

Selamat membaca..

periwinkle..

Hami, you dah baca ke buku Holy blood & Holy Grail tu? rasanya ada lagi satu fiction berkaitan dgn these thing..by Umberto eco, tak sure whether The name of the rose atau Foucault's pendulum .. ingat nak try juga his book.. last time jumpa Bouldini kat Borders, ada offer.. tak beli sebab review kata tak bagus sangat...

[ Last edited by periwinkle.. at 15-3-2006 02:42 PM ]

hamizao

periwinkle, baca tu baca juga sebagai rujukan semasa gilakan topik Freemason dulu. Lagi satu buku  mereka, The Messianic Legacy.  HBHG tu banyak dirujukkan oleh penulis2 lain seperti Jim Marrs dalam Rule By Secrecy one of my favourite.

Ttg  buku2 Umberto Eco, Hami ada satu aje..Baudalino (ejaan tak pasti)...masih dalam senarai "untok dibaca. Hami rasa, The Name of The Rose yang berkenaan soalan periwinkle tu kerana bunga rose ni adalah di gunakan oleh Priori of Sion sebagai lambang bagi "grail".

gorgonz

isnin ni. .. 20/3/06... kat discovery #50...

uncover - da vinci code.... gorg blum tengok lagi.... dah set reminder untk isnin nin

hamizao

Originally posted by gorgonz at 16-3-2006 07:12 PM
isnin ni. .. 20/3/06... kat discovery #50...

uncover - da vinci code.... gorg blum tengok lagi.... dah set reminder untk isnin nin

Salam gorgonz.

Kalau tak salah telah di siarkan tak berapa lama dulu. Kalau berminat memang elok juga gorgonz tengok. Diorang pergi ke tempat2 yang disebutkan dalam buku tu...

tadika_action

i've watched 2, 3 programs on DVC on the history channel & CNN. Excellent supplementaries.

smeetasmitten

Akhirnya berjaya habiskan DVC, DF & A&D. DP belum lagi.

DVC memang best, very fast paced. tak tidur mlm because i couldn't put it down.

DF pun ok, but since I'm not tech savvy kena baca slow2 to understand the fortress concept.

A&D pun brilliant. I was so excited and fascinated by the ambigram. My hubby asked 'why are you reading the book upside down?'

FaRiShAsYaHaNaZ

penah gak baca foucault's pendulum ... tp sekerat jln je ... bukak2 da pening ... ekekeke ...

as for dan brown books ... rasanya digital fotress yg blom baca ... lom ade mood ... hehehe

periwinkle..

Originally posted by FaRiShAsYaHaNaZ at 2-4-2006 06:01 AM
penah gak baca foucault's pendulum ... tp sekerat jln je ... bukak2 da pening ... ekekeke ...

as for dan brown books ... rasanya digital fotress yg blom baca ... lom ade mood ... hehehe

apasal pening Farisha? Tak best ke buku tu?  :hmm: baru ingat nak beli...

FaRiShAsYaHaNaZ

Originally posted by periwinkle.. at 4-4-2006 05:47 PM


apasal pening Farisha? Tak best ke buku tu?  :hmm: baru ingat nak beli...

umberto eco ni cara penyampaian dia mcm berbelit2 ... pening baca .. . ekekekeke ... ke mmg aku payoh nak bace mende2 gini ... bila baca ni terasa mcm baca nitzsche plak .... i prefer baca mechel foucault ... cuba la u belek2 sblm belik ... kot2 sesuai dgn jiwa u mcm saya mmg cpt boring baca buku2 sebegitu

hamizao

The news is out everyone!!


The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown did not breach the copyright of an earlier book, London's High Court has ruled. Mr Justice Smith ordered Mr Leigh and Mr Baigent to make an interim payment of £350,000 by 5 May and refused the authors permission to appeal.

Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh had insisted Brown ripped off their 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. The embittered writers had also sued Random House, the publisher of both books.

After the verdict, Brown said, "(This) shows that this claim was utterly without merit. I'm still astonished that these two authors chose to file their suit at all."

Brown had argued that Baigent and Leigh are two of many writers who have written about the theory that Jesus Christ didn't die on the cross, but lived to have children with Mary Magdalene, whose descendants live to this day.

But the judge, Mr. Justice Peter Smith, concluded Brown did use the earlier book to write certain parts of his bestseller but abstained from substantially copying their work.

A spokesperson for Random House books says, "(The verdict) ensures that novelists remain free to draw in ideas and historical research."

The ruling also ensures the release of director Ron Howard's movie adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, due out in May

Source: BBC News & World Entertainment News Network

FaRiShAsYaHaNaZ

Originally posted by hamizao at 9-4-2006 07:44 PM
The news is out everyone!!


The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown did not breach the copyright of an earlier book, London's High Court has ruled. Mr Justice Smith ordered Mr Leigh and Mr Baig ...

yeahhhh .... read it yesterday .... dan brown pn ckp dia ade bace 38 other books apart frm the book kan as his sources

hamizao

Albino group to protest 'Da Vinci' film


The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentationare is launching a campaign against the Tom Hanks film of The Da Vinci Code.

NOAH had unsuccessfully asked film director Ron Howard to change author Dan Brown's hulking albino character Silas, The New York Post reported Sunday.

A California teacher who is albino wrote to Brown in 2003 voicing her concern over the hateful stereotypes assigned to albinos in literature and film, the newspaper said.

Brown swiftly replied, writing: You might be interested to know that Silas ... is a far more sympathetic character than anyone else in the novel.

Details of the NOAH campaign against The Da Vinci Code and Hollywood's history of evil albinos were not spelled out.

Big News Network
Sunday 19th March, 2006  (UPI)


Wow! This is really getting out of hand .......! :gantuk::gantuk:

periwinkle..

macam-macam isu dah dengan da vinci code ni.. buku ni dah agak lama tapi makin bertambah popularitinya... kat mph & kino buku ni maintain tangga teratas bestsellers.. tak jatuh-jatuh.. dan brown jugak yang kaya raya.. :nerd:

fairy_hobbit

i bought this book last saturday... by lusa i shud be able to finish it. biasanya aku baca dlm lrt. or bila balik rumah after office hours... once baca mlm, nak tido pun susah, sebab tak bole stop baca.. hehe.. bila aku baca dlm lrt, org selalu stare.

but 1 question i have here.... the fictitious "depository bank of zurich" tu.. of all the banking capital in this world, why did dan brown choose Kuala Lumpur as 1 one of the branches of that bank? if u all recall, chapter 42 of the book.. ada 4 places yg this "bank" maintains its branches. they are, Zurich (of course), Paris, Kuala Lumpur and New York.  why didnt Dan Brown pilih other major banking capitals of the world.. such as London, Amsterdam or Hong Kong? hehe...

raeshad

rae pun notice that as well maser bacer buku tu...

beats me...ader hidden agenda ker? ntahla....cam takder jer..... but that;s just me