2006年VOA标准英语-Da Vinci Code Lawsuit Claims Author Stole

By Crystal Park
Washington, DC
01 March 2006
 
watch The DaVinci Code report

  
  
The controversial Dan Brown novel, The Da Vinci Code, is facing a lawsuit¹ claiming the author stole ideas from another book written more than 20 years ago. 

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The Da Vinci Code has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and been on the bestseller list for three years. But now two British writers say Da Vinci Code author, Dan Brown, stole their ideas. Authors Michael Baigen and Richard Leigh claim Brown lifted the central theme from their 1982 nonfiction The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.

Both books theorize that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child, and the bloodline continues in a secret society.
 

Michael Baigen and Richard Leigh claim Dan Brown lifted the central theme from their 1982 nonfiction The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail   
  
The two authors are suing Random² House, the publisher of both books. But media lawyer Paul Herbert says the suit is without merit. "The publishers of The Da Vinci Code are saying, 'Look, all we have done is taken the basic facts in the original work, the premise³ about Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and turned it into a novel. There is no copyright in the facts that we based it on, so where's the claim?' "

Copyright specialist Conan Chittham says this case is likely to clarify existing copyright laws over the extent to which an author can use other people's research.

"If this case wins, it could open the floodgates to all sorts of litigation for people who've had their ideas, as they see it, stolen by more successful people."

A judgment⁴ against the book could hold up the scheduled release of the film version of The Da Vinci Code.

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

3 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

4 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。