Copyright claim ‘a travesty’

An accusation that author Dan Brown stole the ideas for his blockbuster The Da Vinci Code (DVC) was a “travesty”, a High Court judge heard yesterday.

Mr Justice Peter Smith was told a claim alleging plagiarism brought by two other writers was now in “tatters”.

The submissions were made by a QC representing publishers Random House who are contesting a breach of copyright claim brought against them by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, co-authors of a non-fiction work, The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail (HBHG).