128 lines
5.8 KiB
Plaintext
128 lines
5.8 KiB
Plaintext
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From dog.ee.lbl.gov!tennyson.lbl.gov!twcaps Mon Oct 14 16:45:22 PDT 1991
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Article 25859 of alt.folklore.urban:
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Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
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Path: dog.ee.lbl.gov!tennyson.lbl.gov!twcaps
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>From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
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Subject: Cecil Adams on Copyright Traps in Maps (well, sort of)
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Organization: FAQ U.
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Message-ID: <18434@dog.ee.lbl.gov>
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Keywords: Master, Ilco, abracadabra
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X-Local-Date: Mon, 14 Oct 91 16:27:50 PDT
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Reply-To: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
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Date: Mon, 14 Oct 91 23:27:50 GMT
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Summary: Traps schmaps! Sheesh!
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In the October 4, 1991 edition of the Easy Bay (San Francisco) _Express_,
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Cecil's column addresses a follow-up question on the issue of copyright
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traps on commercial maps. A fellow writes about a fictional town named
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Westdale which appeared on th 1982 edition of Rand McNally's Road Atlas
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map of metropolitan Chicago (1982). It was gone in the 1986 edition.
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Cecil contacted Rand McNally and they claimed that it was a mistake which
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occurred when a developer submitted a plan for such a community which was
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approved but never constructed. Cecil notes that it seems a little fishy
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since the area was unincorporated, but was built up decades ago. On the
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general subject of copyright traps, a Rand McNally spokesman said, "Why
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would we put in copyright traps and then not tell anybody they were there?"
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Which does seem a reasonable question.
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The writer refers to an book, _How to Lie with Maps_ by Mark Monmonier
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which indicates that these errors seem to crop up fairly frequently.
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In it, Monmonier also notes the two prank towns in a map of Michigan
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(also noted here on AFU) where a Wolverine fan put in the nonexistent
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towns of "Goblu" and "Beatosu" on the section showing the neighboring
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parts of Ohio.
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Does anyone have access to Cecil's September 6 column on map copyright
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traps? From the nature of this column, it seems to say that these traps
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are bunk.
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ObUL: Cecil has a newsfeed and is a lurker on AFU.
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Terry "Well, it *could* be true...ah, you know the drill" Chan
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--
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================================================================================
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INTERNET: twchan@lbl.gov BITNET: twchan@lbl.bitnet
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"Reality is a concept for people who can't handle alt.folklore.urban."
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From dog.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!pacbell.com!mips!apple!amdahl!JUTS!tjc50 Thu Nov 21 13:31:52 PST 1991
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Article 28353 of alt.folklore.urban:
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Path: dog.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!pacbell.com!mips!apple!amdahl!JUTS!tjc50
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>From: tjc50@ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
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Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
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Subject: Re: Map trap UL in LA Times
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Message-ID: <54SL02N904xU01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com>
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Date: 18 Nov 91 18:25:40 GMT
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References: <1991Nov16.032323.8657@cco.caltech.edu>
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Reply-To: tjc50@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
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Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA
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Lines: 28
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In article <1991Nov16.032323.8657@cco.caltech.edu> nyet@cco.caltech.edu (n liu) writes:
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>"... Thomas Bros. map guides contain some fictitious streets so that the
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>company can prove a copyright infringement against anyone illegally reproducing
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>its work. To insure that drivers are not confused, the mythical avenues are
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>generally shown on the outskirts of a neighborhood, run only a block, and are
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>indicated with broken lines (as though under construction). Thomas Bros. calls
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>them 'map traps.'"
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> - Metro Section "Only in L.A." miscelLAny
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>
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The "map trap" thingee really shouldn't be regarded as an urban legend. It's
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fact. There are strong reasons for such tactics, to prove copyright
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infringement. Infringement requires two elements: 1) Copying, and 2),
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Improper Appropriation. The Copying fork is usually very tough to prove
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without circumstantial evidence, because there's rarely a witness to the
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act of copying. Generally it can be shown by the combination of the allegedly
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infringing work's similarity (called "probative similarity") to the original
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work, coupled with a show of access to the original work. If the degree of
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probative similarity is extremely high, the access requirement can be
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discarded. The reproduction of errors or deliberately inserted false
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information is very helpful in showing a conclusively high probative similarity
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to assume copying. This technique has been used successfully in many
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copyright infringement cases. I don't have my Copyright text handy, but if
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anyone's interested, I'd be happy to look up a few cases and provide
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authoritative cites so we can lay this one to rest.
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--
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The above is my thoughts, not my employer's; Terry Carroll 408/992-2152
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The above is not legal advice; tjc50@amail.amdahl.com (preferred)
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All models over 18 years of age. tjc50@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com
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From dog.ee.lbl.gov!overload.lbl.gov!agate!ames!decwrl!netcomsv!mojo Tue Dec 10 07:21:36 PST 1991
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Article 29620 of alt.folklore.urban:
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Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
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Path: dog.ee.lbl.gov!overload.lbl.gov!agate!ames!decwrl!netcomsv!mojo
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>From: mojo@netcom.COM (Morris Jones)
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Subject: the FAQ - Mapmakers copyright traps
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Message-ID: <1991Dec10.011048.19807mojo@netcom.COM>
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Date: Tue, 10 Dec 91 01:10:48 GMT
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Organization: Caere Corp.
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Reply-To: mojo@caere.com
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"Fb.Mapmakers intentionally place copyright traps in maps."
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Unfortunately I can't speak for mapmakers in general, but ....
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For two years I was employed at Etak, a small company in Menlo Park
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that makes navigation systems for cars and trucks and such. One of
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their major products is high quality digital maps. As a result they
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employed a number of people from the mapping industry and the census
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bureau and such.
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Etak's digital maps did in fact have copyright traps. I know of one
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employee whose driveway was included in the map as "<employee's name>
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Lane," and it was done specifically as a copyright trap.
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This could well be a case of the self-fulfilling urban legend. Those I
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worked with said it was a common practice in the mapping industry.
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--
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Morris "Mojo" Jones, Campbell, CA
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mojo@caere.com
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AA4KB @ N6LDL.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA
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