▁by ▁Har per ▁Collins ▁long ▁before . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁book ' s ▁release , ▁Ba igent ▁was ▁also ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁pl ag iar ism ▁law suit ▁against ▁author ▁Dan ▁Brown , ▁which ▁he ▁acknowled ges ▁in ▁the ▁post script . ▁ ▁The ▁law suit ▁claims ▁that ▁Brown ▁impro per ly ▁used ▁information ▁from ▁The ▁Holy ▁Blood ▁and ▁the ▁Holy ▁Gra il ▁( which ▁Ba igent ▁co - w rote ) ▁for ▁Brown ' s ▁novel ▁The ▁Da ▁V inci ▁Code . ▁ ▁This ▁too ▁has ▁drawn ▁spec ulation ▁that ▁the ▁law suit ▁and ▁trial ▁were ▁merely ▁a ▁public ity ▁vehicle ▁for ▁Ba igent ' s ▁new ▁book , ▁although ▁the ▁£ 3 ▁million ▁costs ▁that ▁remain ▁under ▁appeal ▁will ▁likely ▁neg ate ▁any ▁gain ▁proceed s ▁from ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁the ▁book . ▁ ▁On ▁ 7 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁High ▁Court ▁judge ▁Peter ▁Smith ▁rejected ▁the ▁copy right ▁in fr ing ement ▁claim ▁by ▁Michael ▁Ba igent ▁and ▁Richard ▁Le igh , ▁and ▁Dan ▁Brown ▁won ▁the ▁court ▁case . ▁ ▁Inter views ▁▁ ▁Ba igent ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁Today ▁Show ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁L ester ▁Hol t , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁the ▁papers ▁referred ▁to ▁in ▁the ▁title . ▁ ▁Ba igent ▁says ▁the ▁papers ▁themselves ▁prove ▁that ▁Jesus ▁existed ▁after ▁his ▁cru c if ix ion , ▁and ▁therefore ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁put ▁to ▁death . ▁ ▁Ba igent ▁referred ▁to