"Da Vinci Code" in Court

Two writers are suing the publishers of Dan Brown's best-selling "The Da Vinci Code"' for allegedly stealing their ideas, weeks before the planned release of the film version starring Tom Hanks.

Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, co-authors of the non- fiction "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," claim that the storyline of Brown's thriller, that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and fathered a child, was lifted from their book, published more than 20 years earlier.

If successful, the two authors could seek an order blocking further infringement of their copyright. Copyright law experts said that this would affect sales of "The Da Vinci Code" in the U.K. as well as the British distribution of Columbia Pictures' movie adaptation. The novel has sold about 40 million copies globally since its publication in 2003.

"It's a hugely important case, in part because it relates to the world's best-selling book, but also because of the principle of law involved," Paul Sutton, a lawyer representing Baigent and Leigh, said in an interview on February 24.

Hearings in the case begin today, February 27. The film, directed by Ron Howard, is scheduled to open in the U.K. on May 19 after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in Southern France.