Dan Brown faces plagiarism lawsuit from Turkish writer Aydin Turkgucu

Turkish author Aydin Turkgucu has accused Dan Brown, author of the world-renowned novel “The Da Vinci Code,” of plagiarizing from his books. Turkgucu claims that Brown copied substantial parts of his original work for his 2017 novel “Origin.”

The Turkish writer has now filed a mandatory mediation request, seeking both financial and moral compensation. If no resolution is reached, Turkgucu plans to sue Brown and his New York-based publisher.

Detailed comparison of similarities

Turkgucu, who has been writing on topics like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the relationship between religion and science for over 30 years, argues that Brown used his ideas without permission.

Turkgucu has compiled a 348-point comparative table, highlighting the similarities between his books and “Origin.” His legal team is now seeking damages for the alleged intellectual property violation.

Initial attempt at mediation

The dispute began with Turkgucu’s lawyer, Yavuz Selim Saribrahimoglu, submitting a mediation request to the Turkish Ministry of Justice’s Mediation Department on March 21. The petition emphasized the violation of intellectual property rights and called for a formal mediation process between the two parties.

The petition states: “Our client, Aydin Turkgucu, is a writer who has published works since 1995 on artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the interaction between belief systems and science. His works are registered with ISBNs and are protected under the Turkish Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works (Law No. 5846).”

Plagiarism allegations against Dan Brown

The petition further states: “Dan Brown, the author of Origin, has committed copyright infringement by using our client’s original ideas, narrative elements, and concepts without permission. A 348-point similarity table has been created, which highlights the primary foundation of this dispute between the parties.”

Turkgucu revealed that this is not the first time accusations of plagiarism have surfaced against Dan Brown. He discovered that a similar case regarding “The Da Vinci Code” was filed in 2006.

“I will continue my legal fight until I receive justice from Brown and his publisher,” Turkgucu said in a statement to Hurriyet. “I have been writing about virtual reality and artificial intelligence-based universe models and their interactions with beliefs since 1995, and have been giving seminars on these topics.”

Books translated and nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Turkgucu also shared that his latest four books have been translated into English and published internationally since 2009. His works, which have garnered attention from religious and scientific experts, were even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 and 2017.

Turkgucu’s book, Dan Brown and Me: The 348 Coincidences, was released as a free e-book in January 2022, and it has been available for download for three years. Readers have publicly stated their support, affirming Turkgucu’s claims of plagiarism.

Dan Brown responds: Denial of access

According to Turkgucu’s lawyer, Dan Brown’s response to the claims was that he had no access to Turkgucu’s works.

“In 2018, our client made good faith efforts by notifying both Dan Brown and his publisher about the copyright violation, providing concrete evidence of the infringement. However, the response he received was a false statement that they had no access to the works,” said Saribrahimoglu. Despite these efforts, no agreement was reached, leading to the decision to pursue legal action.

Who is Aydin Turkgucu?

Turkgucu was born in Edirne in 1966. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1988 as a Correspondence Lieutenant and left the army in 1994. As a computer programmer, he worked on many projects both in the military and in private sector. Since 1995, he has been researching about the Holographic Universe, and the Virtual Reality subjects and their correlations in the Holy Books.

He wrote his first book, “I am Ready, Let it Begin,” and got his readers insured against the shock the book might cause them.

“The Nobel Peace Prize only rewards people in their efforts for peace amongst people. Holistic Peace awards category should be included to recognize and award the efforts of those who work for the whole, including peace between people and animals, and people and nature.” He was nominated for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for his books and seminars where he explains how the holographic universe design would provide permanent world peace; he was not awarded.

Turkgucu, who advocates that science and technology would bring peace to the world, was renominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 with his book Back to The God.