In focus: The Da Vinci Code case

Last updated at 16:42 07 April 2006


The best-selling book The Da Vinci Code has sold more than 40million copies worldwide and ignited a debate over whether Jesus really died on the cross.

But that debate was pushed to one side when the authors of a previous book suggesting that Christ had in fact married Mary Magdalene, had a son and settled in France. Authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh took Dan Brown to court, accusing him of copying from their book, The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail.

Here, we look back at the case that has captivated the world.

Gallery

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/galleries/index.html?in_gallery_id=7439∈_page_id=1055">A tale of two books

The court case

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=382335∈_page_id=1770">Da Vinci Code: Sauce or source?

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=382303∈_page_id=1770">Judgment day in Da Vinci Code case

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=380548∈_page_id=1773">Author waits for Da Vinci ruling

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=380204∈_page_id=1773">Da Vinci Code copying claims 'a travesty'

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=379972∈_page_id=1773">Publisher: No hope in suing Da Vinci Code writer

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=379856∈_page_id=1770">Judge challenges Da Vinci Code author

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=379407∈_page_id=1770">Da Vinci Code case increases book sales

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=378528∈_page_id=1773">Da Vinci author 'did not copy'

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=378397∈_page_id=1770">Author in court over Da Vinci Code 'plagiarism'

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=379193∈_page_id=1770">Plot thickens in Da Vinci Code case

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=378528∈_page_id=1773">Da Vinci author 'did not copy'

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=378397∈_page_id=1770">Author in court over Da Vinci Code 'plagiarism'

The Da Vinci Code phenomenon

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=363919∈_page_id=1773">Tom Hanks fan arrested on Da Vinci film set

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=361630∈_page_id=1773">The books that changed the world

target="_top" href="/newspapers?url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=359406∈_page_id=1773">How a Catholic nun upstaged Tom Hanks