Da Vinci Code author 'astounded' at plagiarism claim

LONDON - Author Dan Brown said today 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".

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 US 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 towards the end of a gruelling day of questioning. 

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 4am 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 harrassment," 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 judgement.

The secrets to Brown's success

Aspiring writers could do worse than leaf through Brown's witness statement.

Judging by the document a strict exercise regime and an ambitious, hard-working wife appear to be key ingredients to literary fame.

A willingness to work in uncomfortable places is also a plus. Brown wrote the main outline for The Da Vinci Code in his parents' laundry room.

"I remember writing the expanded outline for The Da Vinci Code inside this tiny laundry room, sitting on a lawn-chair that had been set up at a makeshift desk made out of an ironing board," he says in the statement.

Today's cross-examination by lawyer Jonathan Rayner James was almost as much about the role of Brown's wife Blythe in the process of writing The Da Vinci Code as it was about his own input.

From the 69-page witness statement, it also becomes clear that she played a crucial role in the 41-year-old's success. He was ranked number six in Forbes' list of wealthy celebrities in 2005 in terms of earnings, with income of $77 million (NZ$120m).

Early on we learn how Blythe, who helped him research The Da Vinci Code and other novels, set her husband on the road to stardom.

In Los Angeles as a struggling songwriter, where Brown said he "felt like a fish out of water" and met his future wife, he wrote a list called "187 Men to Avoid" based on some of his more bizarre experiences on the West Coast.

"Blythe thought the list was hilarious," he says. "She quickly wrote several literary agents and included a portion of the list. To my astonishment, I immediately got calls from a number of agents." He was offered $12,500 for the manuscript.

When the print run for "Angels and Demons" was cut from a planned 60,000 to just 12,000, Brown said he and his wife were "heartbroken" and forced to sell books from his car at low profile publishing events.

"This was not an easy time financially," he adds.

Blythe was instrumental in researching The Da Vinci Code and shared Brown's fascination with the Church's suppression of the sacred feminine.

"She also lobbied hard for me to find a way to use a theory which concerned the legend of the Holy Grail -- the so-called 'bloodline theory.'"

Brown, who is described in the media as a committed Christian, attended church camp and tussled with reconciling science and religion from an early age.

Seeking to explain why Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code raised eyebrows when published, he said "both books opened some Church closets most people don't even know existed."

- REUTERS