Once upon a time a guy named Dan Brown wrote a book called "The DaVinci Code". It was based on a few smokey myths, a little creativity and a whole host of shaky conspiracy histories. Many of those dubious histories were originally constructed in a non-fiction book entitled "Holy Blood and Holy Grail", written by British conspiracy historists Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh.
Now, according to Britain's The Times, those two authors are suing Brown and his publisher over charges of plaigiarism, a suit that could potentially halt release of the film in Britain. The suit was originally filed when the book was released in Britain and is just now getting to the courts.
Americans shouldn't fear, this suit is in British courts and will likely have no effect on the release stateside. We'll still get to see Tom Hanks in a weird hairdo this summer putting the moves on an actress young enough to be his daughter.
According to The Times, Leigh and Baigent indicate that Brown's book makes numerous references to their work including the fact that the name one of the main characters, Leigh Teabing, is in fact their last names put together (Teabing being an anagram for Baigent). While getting that nod must be nice, the authors want their money. If the authors win, the movie could be prohibited from release in Britain for years until rights and royalty settlements are reached.
