A Russian scientist accused Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code" of plagiarism.

Leonardo Da Vinci specialist and Art Historian Mikhail Anikin claimed in a statement to AFP that Dan Brown stole his ideas and used them in his best-selling novel.

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Working at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Anikin accused the American writer of plagiarism, charging that even the name of the book was stolen from him.

"Dan Brown learned from me that Leonardo Da Vinci was not only an artist but also a theologian and plagiarized the idea that the Jokond (Mona Lisa) Picture is not just a simple painting but a metaphor symbolizing the church," the historian said in a statement.

The plot of "The Da Vinci Code" involves a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to cover up the true story of Jesus. This implies that the Vatican consciously knows it is living a lie, but does so to keep itself in power.

"The Da Vinci Code" has helped generate popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and the role of Mary Magdalene in the history of Christianity.

Fans have lauded the book as creative, action-packed and thought-provoking. Critics have attacked "The Da Vinci Code" as inaccurate and poorly written, and decry the many negative implications about the Catholic Church.

"The Da Vinci Code" has a principal source book, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by authors Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln.

It has been claimed that "The Da Vinci Code" is a romanticised version of this work, which was itself based on a series of short films that ran on the BBC in the late 1970s.

Similarities include Mary Magdalene as the living Holy Grail, the divine origin of the French royal dynasty, occultism, ancient Egyptian wisdom, papal conspiracy, and the use of steganography. 

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