Authors Who Sued "Da Vinci Code" Face Huge Legal Bills

The two authors who sued Dan Brown's publisher Random House for plagiarism in the UK now face massive legal bills. They have to pay 85% of Random House's legal bill, plus all of their own lawyers' legal bills. It will total at least 2 million pounds. Since their case was extremely weak on several fronts, they must really be regretting their action. Having to pay the other side's legal bills is one of the many clever quirks in the UK. Their newspapers and magazines are much more carefree with rumors and gossip and half-truths that an American newspaper would never run with. Basically, the standards for proving libel are lower in the UK (that's why the authors filed the suit in that country) but if you LOSE a case you have to pay much of your opponents' legal fees. The result is a carefree press and fewer frivolous lawsuits.