Yesterday’s Times report on the copyright infringement trial involving The Da Vinci Code caught my eye, primarily because the trial judge apparently agreed to decide whether The Da Vinci Code infringes two earlier works — by taking the books home and reading them. Both sides apparently argue that the case should be judged on a “total concept and feel” basis.
Over at the Language Log, Bill Poser writes: “I’m sure that I speak for all of us at Language Log in wishing iron-boweled Judge Daniels the best of luck in surviving the ordeal to which he has submitted himself.”
Judge Daniels, notably, was the subject of a Times piece last December for being “conspicuously late” with decisions in civil cases.
Interestingly, the plaintiff, Lewis Perdue, is all over his own case, with a website, one blog (“The Da Vinci Crock”), and now a second blog, Writopia, which proposes to be more “opinion” oriented. (I put “opinion” in quotes because the whole exercise appears to be his opinions.)