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NEW YORK, Apr 21, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York has ruled Dan Brown's bestseller, "The Da Vinci Code" did not infringe on Lewis Purdue's works.
The appellate court upheld U.S. District George B. Daniel's August ruling that "any slightly similar elements (between Brown's and Purdue's books) are on the level of generalized or otherwise unprotectable ideas."
Purdue had filed a $150 million lawsuit claiming Brown stole ideas from his 2000 "Daughter of God" and his 1983 "The Da Vinci Legacy," E! Online reported Friday.
In rendering his decision, Daniel accused Purdue of trying to wrench money from Brown, whose book has sold more than 40 million hardcover copies and is about to become a Hollywood blockbuster. The paperback version is currently No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
"This rapid and unanimous verdict confirms, once again, that this claim never had any merit," Brown said in a statement.
Brown has fought off similar claims in a London court.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
