# Dan Brown Cleared

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-brown-cleared/351727>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 7, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-brown-cleared/351727 "2006-04-07T15:20:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-brown-cleared/351727/1 "2006-04-07T15:20:08Z")

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A judge cleared Dan Brown of copyright infringement. [Link](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/07/uk.davinci.court/index.html) My Favorite quote:

> [@](#):
>
> It would be quite wrong if fictional writers were to have their writings pored over in the way DVC (Da Vinci Code) has been pored over in this case by authors of pretend historical books to make an allegation of infringement of copyright,

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-brown-cleared/351727/2 "2006-04-07T18:20:04Z")

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I wasn’t too surprised by the ruling. Sounded all along, IMHO, like the plaintiffs had a whole lotta nothing. [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) has a link to the decision (71 pages in .pdf format), and I skimmed it earlier today. The judge was scathing in his review of the two plaintiffs’ testimony, especially that of Baigent, but also found that Brown misstated when he read “Holy Blood, Holy Grail,” and relied perhaps too much on his wife’s research. The judge also criticized the defense for not calling Blythe Brown to the stand.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-brown-cleared/351727/3 "2006-04-07T22:51:59Z")

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I agree with you and I think it was a good ruling. I was a little surprised though that the judge actually used the term “pretend historical books.” As you said - scathing.