I think it was Mark Twain who said if two men share two apples, they have an apple each. Whereas if they share ideas, they have two ideas each. Litigation is nothing new to fear but mean spiritedness is hardly a virtue for writers or anyone who wants to be considered an artist.
Stephen O'Byrne, FinchleyI first learnt about the possibility that Christ had married Mary Magdalene and possibly fathered five children more than forty years ago. I was told this at the Grammar School that I attended by a Church of England priest who taught Religious Studies and English around 1960. If I remember it correctly, I think we were also told that it was also believed amongst certain groups that Mary Magdalene had travelled to England with Joseph of Aramathea. I thought no more about this until I read the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail shortly after it was first published and I later read The Da Vinci Code about nine months ago. I was struck immediately by the similarity of the theories about the Holy Blood... but as I had been told about "Christ's marriage" more by an ordained CofE priest, I thought the possibility of Christ having married Mary Magdalene must have been fairly common knowledge within the Roman Catholic and CofE priesthood. I read a piece yesterday in another newspaper that was written in 1971, the writer being an ex-RC priest, about the same issue. I assume that there is no open debate about the possibility of "Christ's marriage" because it would be considered heretical. If Christ married and the documented basis of this has been consistently suppressed by the Catholic hierarchy and this suppression is well known in certain circles, then I can't see how there can be any basis for the authors of The Holy Blood ... to claim plagiarism. Philip Towell, Inage, Japan
As a retired professor of chemistry who has published in refereed academic journals, all research in science is somehow based upon ideas previously expounded. Yes, it is unconscienable to claim ideas to be solely one's own original ideas, as one must thoroughly research the existing published works and give credit due to every source. Failure to give credit makes it plagiarism. Brahama D Sharma, Pismo Beach, CA, USA
This is all about myth! It's great for the writers' pockets because now this dilemma will compel more people to read their books. Name and address withheld
When I read The Da Vinci Code, my immediate reaction was that I had read the basic ideas somewhere else; maybe two decades ago. I already knew the story. The whole trouble with all this is that most of us must be thoroughly frightened to use any available information in case we have offended against intellectual property, patents or copyright. I note that when I buy a new car, the manufacturer will not tell me if it has a right to the patents it uses. Computer technology is even worse. I am ignored if I try to ask questions. This is all very confusing for the humble citizen and appears designed to prevent the ordinary person from trying anything new. This new case will do us all a service by defining what exactly plagiarism is. We need to be clearer about how many years protection really lasts. It seems to be a moving target as those with money get the law continually adjusted. Brian Lewis, Manila, Philippines
This comes down to plain greed on behalf of the HBHG writers as you can't copyright history. I was intending to read their follow up novel The Messianic Legacy but now I don't think I'll bother unless I find a cheap copy in a second-hand bookshop. It is a shame and the possible outcome of this is that Dan Brown will be more careful when writing his novels in future. Alex Flanagan, Bath
Hang on - did somebody here use the words "Dan Brown" and "fine writer of fiction" in the same sentence? Dear oh dear. Personally, I would be too ashamed to claim his work as my own, unless the payout was very handsome ... Anthony Balfe, London
If plagiarism is sin, then even the mighty Shakespeare stands out as a sinner since it is a fact that he occasionally borrowed "ideas" from little-known French and Italian dramatists. As someone who has read The Da Vinci Code and liked it immensely, I must say that Mr Brown has only brought forth old but rarely-known ideas in his book, in a style which manages to glue the readers to it. Promita Mukherjee, Calcutta
Normally the question of copyright comes in when an author "steals" the creativity of others. I enjoyed reading the DVC, not because of its theories on Catholicism or Christianity but because it is a good thriller; an ingenious treasure hunt and a tour to European cities and places of interest I visited. The DVC is simply a story and nothing else. Reno Borg, B'Kara, Malta
If the authors of HBHG are now claiming that the idea of Jesus surviving the crucifixion is theirs and not historical fact, can I sue them for wrongly describing their book as factual rather then fiction? John Gresham, Baku, Azerbaijan
If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research. Wilson Mizner, New York
I find it astonishing that, first, that the standard of reading in this country is so low that Mr Brown's books are thought of as a ripping good yarns, when this one in particular is bad, trashily-written drivel. A sentence or paragraph to a chapter may make it short and snappy, but when it is so painful to read, it needs to be short and changing fast. Secondly, that people in this country (and far-flung westwards) are so stupid that they take all this seriously. Yes, the church has lied and lied and lied down the years, that's what maintaining a power and money base is all about. Whether their lies are about this in particular is another matter. What I find most offensive, though, is that when the remarkably smug Mr Brown is asked any difficult questions, he just clams up, looking even smugger and ineffable and the public is meant to think that he does not lower himself to answer such petty questions. Have we sunk so low that tabloid-style bite-sized books in big print are all we can manage? Kiernan Walker, London
My opinion is that the two books are of different genre. The story that Jesus was married and had children is a myth; The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail attempts to present the myth as historical fact but DVC is purely a mythical thriller. How many times have people made dramatised versions of Noah's ark or the crucifixion? Did the church pursue film makers for the copyright of The Passion of the Christ? If there is a conflict of copyright, the key question is: can you copyright myth? Calum Higgins, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire
