The Da Vinci Code Lawsuit Scam

While I’m not in favor, per se, of unlawful behavior... it’s difficult not to be impressed by the intelligence, psychology and even arrogance, of a well-organized scam.

It was the perception of the press (and therefore the public) this Spring that Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, two of the three authors of the historical, non-fiction book “Holy Blood, Holy Grail” were suing Dan Brown for aspects of his fictitious novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” that they felt were appropriated from their investigational work.

This is erroneous. In fact, Baigent and Leigh, sued the publishers of “The Da Vinci Code”, mega-corp book-slinger Random House. Any idea as to who was Baigent and Leigh’s publisher for “Holy Blood...”? Delacorte Press, a subsidiary of... you guessed it! None other than Random House!

I can almost imagine the conversation between a couple Random House gunners and Baigent & Leigh. The setting would be a successful “publisher’s row” hangout (“Is that John Updike puking in the corner? Did Joyce Carol Oates just give me the finger?”) near RH headquarters on the company’s tab. Somewhere near the middle of the third martini (or perhaps Long Island Tea or Perfect Margarita) this conversation might have ensued:

RH: Uhm... boys... while we are indeed celebrating the new printing of your book... we have a little something else to talk about. While, over the years, it’s true that... though a well-researched and wonderfully constructed book, “Holy Grail..” has just never been the... success... that we wanted it to be... that we felt it should be...

B&L: (Incoherent mumbling about lack of advertising, promotion and support begin to sputter)

RH: Now, please... hear us out, boys. We sense great rewards from open minds... As we were saying... Dan’s book fell into one of those, bizarre, inexplicable time/space publishing wormholes that even Stephen Hawking couldn’t explain. We realize fully that his wife cited your book in the annotations... it was widely realized that you were not... how shall we say... well served, and frankly, we heard some grumbling around the water-cooler.

(B&L start to defend themselves.)

RH: Now, boys... and again please hear us out because this requires a creative mind... we’re on your side. We feel that you should sue... not Dan, of course, but us... Now. now. I know what you’re thinking... but we published your book, and well before his... WE should have seen the problems. We feel that you should take action against us. You should sue us.

(B&L stare aghast at the RH reps)

RH: Just think about it boys. You have a brand new printing... “Code” is coming out as a movie in a few months. We have the lawyers find a “European Theater” somewhere so it doesn’t just play as an American story. Think of the publicity... free publicity... we could spend millions and never generate that sort of press. People get curious about what “Holy Grail” is... you sell a ton of books... royalties pour in... Dan sells more books... we profit from both.... EVERYBODY makes out.

And just think about it... you win... we give you some money... sales skyrocket. Worst Case Scenario: You lose... Sales hit the roof... You crack the New York Times Bestseller list. Who knows, maybe there’ll even be a movie offer for your book.

Postscript: Baigent and Leigh “lost” the case. It was widely reported in the world press that Dan Brown had won the case, even though he was never actually a defendant. He did testify however, breaking a reclusiveness that is said to rival J.D. Salinger. Brown’s book remained affixed in the bestsellers and “Holy Blood, Holy Grail” joined it there. Baigent and Lee have a few legal expenses but I bet if they asked real nice, their publisher would bail them out.

I haven’t read either of these books and have no intention to in the near future. I’ve had Christians approach me in an attempt to debunk the “truths” of Dan Brown’s novel. You might as well explain to me how “Lord of the Rings... it never happened.” That’s just how I feel about the whole thing.

For the few of you who read DVC and thought it was kind of a crap novel and couldn’t imagine getting excited about a movie of it... I forward this condolence from The AV Club (the somewhat more sober arm of the satirical newspaper The Onion) who in a Summer Movie Preview wrote “Wasn't reading Brown's stilted, tortured prose bad enough, without having to hear Hanks declaim it too?” As an alternative to seeing the film they offered “Reading a good book, wishing someone would make a movie out of that instead.”