'Holy Blood ideas are not original'

Two historians who claim Dan Brown stole their ideas for the plot of his blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code were in turn today accused of making false accusations against him.

Lawyers acting for Mr Brown's publisher Random House went on the offensive in defence of the American author.

Random House is being sued for infringement of copyright in a High Court hearing with millions of pounds at stake.

Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent claim Mr Brown " appropriated" their book The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail, coincidentally also published by Random House, for his £200 million novel The Da Vinci Code, written 20 years later.

But today in the High Court John Baldwin QC, representing Random House, said the legal action was based on a claim of copyright for "mere ideas".

One such idea is the notion that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene and that the bloodline continues to this day.

Mr Baldwin outlined four key reasons why the legal action should fail:

The ideas complained of were not original to The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail anyway.

Some ideas are not "even in both books, so they cannot possibly have been copied".

The historians are claiming copyright for ideas so general that they are not protected under law.

Mr Brown did not copy The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail and his ideas came from a variety of sources.

Mr Leigh and Mr Baigent claim 15 "central theme points" from their book - described as historical conjecture - are repeated in The Da Vinci Code, an out-and-out thriller.

If they win and take an injunction preventing use of their material, it would threaten the May release of the film of the novel, starring Tom Hanks. Mr Brown, wearing a light brown jacket, sat in the front of the packed court today for the second day running. The trial is due to last two weeks. He is expected to give evidence next week.

Yesterday he told the Standard that one central element of The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail - that Jesus faked the crucifixion and that the resurrection never took place - is absent from his novel because of his strong Christian beliefs.