London – In a rare and undesired appearance, “The Da Vinci Code” novelist Dan Brown dismissed as “completely fanciful” claims that he stole two authors’ ideas, saying he read their book only after the structure of his theological thriller was in place.
On Monday, three years after “The Da Vinci Code” was first published, the multimillionaire writer found himself on the witness stand at London’s High Court, denying Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh’s accusations of copyright infringement.
Under questioning by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Brown acknowledged that he could not always recall exact dates of milestones in the creation of his novel. Both books explore theories – dismissed by most theologians – that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute but Jesus’ wife, the couple had a child and the bloodline survives.
“It’s as if you’ve asked me to go back five years or 10 years and asked me not only what I got for Christmas, but what order I opened the presents,” he told Jonathan Rayner James, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
Baigent and Leigh are suing publisher Random House for copyright infringement, claiming Brown “appropriated the architecture” of their 1982 book, “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.”
If they succeed in securing an injunction to bar the use of their material, they could hold up the scheduled May 19 film release of “The Da Vinci Code,” starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.
