DaVinci Code shelved?
#26
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Originally Posted by The_Cube
I just ordered it from www.qpb.com. I buy many of my books from them.
#28
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It's been out for nearly two years in the UK (and elsewhere, I think). It was delayed in north america because the hardback was selling so well. I learned this last summer because I was the last person in the country to read it and finally decided to cave in, so I went looking for the paperback.
#30
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Originally Posted by wm lopez
Is'nt this movie being pushed by liberal Hollywood in hope as a counter attack againest THE PASSION's succsess 2 years ago?
#31
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Originally Posted by Ron G
Well, the idea that the Grail was actually the child of Christ, born of Mary Magdalen can be traced back to the Cathars and 13th century France, if not earlier.
I haven't read Holy Blood, Holy Grail in a very long time, but from what I remember, a great deal of it was simply reporting theories that had been around for a long time.
Yet I can also remember thinking when I first heard about The Da Vinci Code that this guy had basically ripped off Holy Blood, Holy Grail, because the similarities were too remarkable to be coincidental.
None of this is to argue that Holy Blood, Holy Grail contains facts, because it doesn't. It only contains factual reports of what people have believed--nothing more.
I haven't read Holy Blood, Holy Grail in a very long time, but from what I remember, a great deal of it was simply reporting theories that had been around for a long time.
Yet I can also remember thinking when I first heard about The Da Vinci Code that this guy had basically ripped off Holy Blood, Holy Grail, because the similarities were too remarkable to be coincidental.
None of this is to argue that Holy Blood, Holy Grail contains facts, because it doesn't. It only contains factual reports of what people have believed--nothing more.
#32
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If they are going after DaVinci Code for using the Mary Magdalene/Jesus theory, why not Dogma, which used the exact same theory as the basis for its plot?
#33
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Or maybe it's being shelved because they're afraid that millions and millions of Christians will take to the streets and demand the heads of the film's makers.
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All of these references in this thread to other books, movies, etc. that are similar to Davinci Code prove the point that this is a frivolous lawsuit. There are practically no original ideas left in the world. Nearly every book and every movie borrows from a previous idea.
Lawsuits suck. Stop suing everyone over everything. There is a clip on the radio about an inmate who is suing the prison for $75 million dollars because they cut his hair in a way he didnt want.
Lawsuits suck. Stop suing everyone over everything. There is a clip on the radio about an inmate who is suing the prison for $75 million dollars because they cut his hair in a way he didnt want.
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Originally Posted by JumpCutz
I think he's serious.
I read the book, and no where within does a man get beat for two hours.
This book is more of a chase scene than anything else.
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It's not frivolous in regards to the Priory of Sion connection (scam i.e. Pierre Plantard) which Brown apparently bought hook, line and sinker, and was the key to Lincoln, Bagent, and Leigh's reworking of the theory
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Originally Posted by nodeerforamonth
Or maybe it's being shelved because they're afraid that millions and millions of Christians will take to the streets and demand the heads of the film's makers.
#40
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Hmmm, what an odd lawsuit. I would have to go with the "money grab" theory. The book was a decent bit of fiction, and those parts couldn't really be plagarized, and the rest is based around conspiracy theories that go back centuries. I am guessing the green eyed monster had something to do with it since DaVinci sold so darn well.
#41
i also wasn't aware that there isn't a paperback version available in the US yet. I bought one couple of years ago overseas to read on the flight back... i like the cover of this paperback version myself (also sitting two feet away from me)
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P...2.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P...2.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
#42
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Originally Posted by wm lopez
Is'nt this movie being pushed by liberal Hollywood in hope as a counter attack againest THE PASSION's succsess 2 years ago?
Geez. I'm so out-of-touch with God.
#43
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DaVinci Code says that Jesus & Mary Mag. had a thing.
There was a book that came out the same year as the movie THE PASSION that the author wrote that Jesus was gay.
So it looks like some people are trying to send a message to avoid the christain religion the same way christains are trying to sway them.
There was a book that came out the same year as the movie THE PASSION that the author wrote that Jesus was gay.
So it looks like some people are trying to send a message to avoid the christain religion the same way christains are trying to sway them.
#44
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Originally Posted by wm lopez
DaVinci Code says that Jesus & Mary Mag. had a thing.
There was a book that came out the same year as the movie THE PASSION that the author wrote that Jesus was gay.
So it looks like some people are trying to send a message to avoid the christain religion the same way christains are trying to sway them.
There was a book that came out the same year as the movie THE PASSION that the author wrote that Jesus was gay.
So it looks like some people are trying to send a message to avoid the christain religion the same way christains are trying to sway them.
#45
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Originally Posted by kvrdave
Hmmm, what an odd lawsuit. I would have to go with the "money grab" theory. The book was a decent bit of fiction, and those parts couldn't really be plagarized, and the rest is based around conspiracy theories that go back centuries. I am guessing the green eyed monster had something to do with it since DaVinci sold so darn well.
Yup, here's a shocker from the Da Vinci Code page on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...lance&n=283155
Customers who bought this also bought Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0385...24#reader-link
The New York Times Bestseller more revealing than any fiction
I'd be amazed if these authors have any actual hope of winning this meritless (for a whole lot of reasons) suit. But the publicity will probably sell a few more copies of their book.
#46
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Dan Brown wins!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...123521,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...123521,00.html
Da Vinci Code author wins battle against plagiarism claim
By Philippe Naughton at the High Court in London
The authors of a 1982 book that raised the theory that Jesus Christ sired a dynasty of kings with Mary Magdalene are facing a £2 million legal bill after a court rejected their copyright claim against Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code.
After one of the most closely followed trials in High Court history, Mr Justice Peter Smith ruled that American author Brown did not infringe the copyright of Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh when he wrote his worldwide bestseller.
Baigent and Leigh argued that DVC, as it has been referred to in the case, lifted the "architecture" of their earlier book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (HBHG), which was itself a bestseller but never achieved anything like the success of Brown's book which has sold more than 40 million copies since its publication in 2003.
But in a 71-page ruling issued today, Justice Smith said that Brown did not copy the central theme for his novel from the earlier book. "The plaintiffs’ case has failed," he said. "Dan Brown has not infringed copyright. None of this amounts to copying The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."
He added: "Even if the central themes were copied they are too general or of too low a level of abstraction to be capable of protection by copyright law. Accordingly there is no copyright infringement either by textual copying or non-textual copying of a substantial part of HBHG by means of copying the central themes."
The judge ordered that Baigent and Leigh should pay 85 per cent of publisher Random House's costs, estimated at nearly £1.3 million, as well as their own costs of £800,000. He said there should be an interim payment of £350,000 by May 5 and refused the authors permission to appeal his decision.
Brown said in a statement: "Today’s verdict shows that this claim was utterly without merit." Random House said that the ruling "ensures that novelists remain free to draw in ideas and historical research".
Gail Rebuck, chairman and chief executive of Random House, said: "Justice - and common sense - have prevailed. It is highly unusual and very sad that these authors chose to sue their publishers, especially after 20 successful years. This case has been extremely distressing for all concerned. The ruling is very important for the future of creative writing in the UK."
Leigh spoke briefly to a scrum of reporters outside the court. He said that he believed the claim had pitted "the spirit of the law against the letter of the law" and that he and Baigent had been vindicsted on the former. When asked to explain this comment, he replied: "I leave it to you to interpret."
Brown, meticulous in his 69-page witness statement but occasionally tetchy under cross-examination in court, admits that the book was one of dozens of sources he used, but says that he wrote his synopsis for DVC before ever reading HBHG, which he has still not got round to finishing.
Had Mr Justice Smith found for the HBHG authors in their claim against Random House, which published both books, the ruling could have delayed the scheduled May 19 release of the DVC film, starring Tom Hanks.
More importantly it would have stunned the world of copyright law by challenging the concept that copyright protects the expression of an idea rather than the idea itself.
The case attracted hundreds of Dan Brown fans to the neo-Gothic splendour of the High Court last month. Mr Justice Smith retained an air of bluff good humour during sometimes esoteric hearings that touched on the Roman Emperor Constantine’s deathbed conversion to Christianity, the founding of the medieval Knights Templar and the Merovingian dynasty allegedly descended from Christ.
The judge referred to one curious element of the case: that both works were published by the same publishing house. He said: "It is a testament to cynicism in our times that there have been suggestions that this action is nothing more than a collaborative exercise designed to maximise publicity for both books. It is true that the book sales of both books have soared during the course of the trial (in the case of HBHG it is said to be a tenfold increase).
By Philippe Naughton at the High Court in London
The authors of a 1982 book that raised the theory that Jesus Christ sired a dynasty of kings with Mary Magdalene are facing a £2 million legal bill after a court rejected their copyright claim against Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code.
After one of the most closely followed trials in High Court history, Mr Justice Peter Smith ruled that American author Brown did not infringe the copyright of Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh when he wrote his worldwide bestseller.
Baigent and Leigh argued that DVC, as it has been referred to in the case, lifted the "architecture" of their earlier book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (HBHG), which was itself a bestseller but never achieved anything like the success of Brown's book which has sold more than 40 million copies since its publication in 2003.
But in a 71-page ruling issued today, Justice Smith said that Brown did not copy the central theme for his novel from the earlier book. "The plaintiffs’ case has failed," he said. "Dan Brown has not infringed copyright. None of this amounts to copying The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."
He added: "Even if the central themes were copied they are too general or of too low a level of abstraction to be capable of protection by copyright law. Accordingly there is no copyright infringement either by textual copying or non-textual copying of a substantial part of HBHG by means of copying the central themes."
The judge ordered that Baigent and Leigh should pay 85 per cent of publisher Random House's costs, estimated at nearly £1.3 million, as well as their own costs of £800,000. He said there should be an interim payment of £350,000 by May 5 and refused the authors permission to appeal his decision.
Brown said in a statement: "Today’s verdict shows that this claim was utterly without merit." Random House said that the ruling "ensures that novelists remain free to draw in ideas and historical research".
Gail Rebuck, chairman and chief executive of Random House, said: "Justice - and common sense - have prevailed. It is highly unusual and very sad that these authors chose to sue their publishers, especially after 20 successful years. This case has been extremely distressing for all concerned. The ruling is very important for the future of creative writing in the UK."
Leigh spoke briefly to a scrum of reporters outside the court. He said that he believed the claim had pitted "the spirit of the law against the letter of the law" and that he and Baigent had been vindicsted on the former. When asked to explain this comment, he replied: "I leave it to you to interpret."
Brown, meticulous in his 69-page witness statement but occasionally tetchy under cross-examination in court, admits that the book was one of dozens of sources he used, but says that he wrote his synopsis for DVC before ever reading HBHG, which he has still not got round to finishing.
Had Mr Justice Smith found for the HBHG authors in their claim against Random House, which published both books, the ruling could have delayed the scheduled May 19 release of the DVC film, starring Tom Hanks.
More importantly it would have stunned the world of copyright law by challenging the concept that copyright protects the expression of an idea rather than the idea itself.
The case attracted hundreds of Dan Brown fans to the neo-Gothic splendour of the High Court last month. Mr Justice Smith retained an air of bluff good humour during sometimes esoteric hearings that touched on the Roman Emperor Constantine’s deathbed conversion to Christianity, the founding of the medieval Knights Templar and the Merovingian dynasty allegedly descended from Christ.
The judge referred to one curious element of the case: that both works were published by the same publishing house. He said: "It is a testament to cynicism in our times that there have been suggestions that this action is nothing more than a collaborative exercise designed to maximise publicity for both books. It is true that the book sales of both books have soared during the course of the trial (in the case of HBHG it is said to be a tenfold increase).
#47
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"Da Vinci Code" under investigation in Italy By Eric J. Lyman
Mon Jun 18, 8:53 PM ET
TAORMINA, Italy (Hollywood Reporter) - More than a year after its premiere, "The Da Vinci Code" is being investigated by Italian state attorneys on the grounds that it is "obscene" from a religious perspective.
Earlier this year, a complaint against the film was filed by a group of clergy near the Italian village of Civitavecchia, where the state prosecutor's office said it would open a criminal investigation into the film. The complaint says the film violates Article 528 of Italy's Penal Code.
The complaint names 10 people, including director Ron Howard and author Dan Brown.
The investigation means the case will have its day in court in the seaside port village about 40 miles north of Rome, though a judge could elect to throw out the charges. But it is significant that the state prosecutor agreed to investigate it.
It is unclear what the unnamed complainants -- reported by the state prosecutor to be Catholic clergy from the area -- are seeking.
Under the terms of Article 528 of the Penal Code, if found guilty the defendants will have a criminal record in Italy and would each face jail time of at least three months and fines of at least 103 euros ($139). Jail time is capped at three years, but there is no upward limit on the fines, legal experts said. The defendants cannot be extradited for the charges, but they can be apprehended if they are already on Italian soil.
The development comes as Howard is beginning preproduction work here on "Angels and Demons," the highly awaited sequel to "Da Vinci," also authored by Brown.
Asked why the case is being opened now, some 13 months after the film debuted at least year's Cannes Film Festival, an official at the Civitavecchia state prosecutor said he wasn't sure.
"I don't know," the official said in a telephone interview. "Maybe they (the clergy who filed the complaint) have just seen the film."
Both the book and film version of "Da Vinci" attracted widespread criticism from religious groups, but this appears to be the first time parties have taken legal action against the work.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Mon Jun 18, 8:53 PM ET
TAORMINA, Italy (Hollywood Reporter) - More than a year after its premiere, "The Da Vinci Code" is being investigated by Italian state attorneys on the grounds that it is "obscene" from a religious perspective.
Earlier this year, a complaint against the film was filed by a group of clergy near the Italian village of Civitavecchia, where the state prosecutor's office said it would open a criminal investigation into the film. The complaint says the film violates Article 528 of Italy's Penal Code.
The complaint names 10 people, including director Ron Howard and author Dan Brown.
The investigation means the case will have its day in court in the seaside port village about 40 miles north of Rome, though a judge could elect to throw out the charges. But it is significant that the state prosecutor agreed to investigate it.
It is unclear what the unnamed complainants -- reported by the state prosecutor to be Catholic clergy from the area -- are seeking.
Under the terms of Article 528 of the Penal Code, if found guilty the defendants will have a criminal record in Italy and would each face jail time of at least three months and fines of at least 103 euros ($139). Jail time is capped at three years, but there is no upward limit on the fines, legal experts said. The defendants cannot be extradited for the charges, but they can be apprehended if they are already on Italian soil.
The development comes as Howard is beginning preproduction work here on "Angels and Demons," the highly awaited sequel to "Da Vinci," also authored by Brown.
Asked why the case is being opened now, some 13 months after the film debuted at least year's Cannes Film Festival, an official at the Civitavecchia state prosecutor said he wasn't sure.
"I don't know," the official said in a telephone interview. "Maybe they (the clergy who filed the complaint) have just seen the film."
Both the book and film version of "Da Vinci" attracted widespread criticism from religious groups, but this appears to be the first time parties have taken legal action against the work.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
#48
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I'm curious to know exactly what Article 528 says in Italy's Penal Code. As far as I know, Italy doesn't have a state church anymore, so I can't see how they could rule that something is obscene from a religious perspective.
Also, It's A Fucking Fictional Movie/Book. Get over it.
Also, It's A Fucking Fictional Movie/Book. Get over it.
#49
DVD Talk Hero
Sounds like Opus Dei is trying to bring back the Inquisition.
#50
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Originally Posted by devilshalo
The development comes as Howard is beginning preproduction work here on "Angels and Demons," the highly awaited sequel to "Da Vinci," also authored by Brown.