Google Blogoscoped

Forum

What Are Trap Streets?  (View post)

answerfinder [PersonRank 1]

Tuesday, September 11, 2007
16 years ago5,692 views

Here in the UK the Automobile Association fell foul of the Ordnance Survey's copyright.

After the court case a spokesman said,
"These included stylistic features and proportions – such as the width of roads in each drawing.

Ordnance Survey's chief executive, Vanessa Lawrence, said: "There are design elements in the way we show things which are not obvious to either the user or the copier. When we see the two versions side by side, we can spot clues."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,447171,00.html

Jean-Noël Anderruthy [PersonRank 1]

16 years ago #

Thank you for your link! ;-)
Merci Tom pour l'excellent travail de référencement effectué...

Ryan [PersonRank 0]

16 years ago #

I've used this concept for a few years now. It really does catch scrapers and copiers.

I mostly use it on www.noslang.com – my internet slang dictionary.

here's mine:
http://www.google.com/search?q=mgiwjsdchmw&hl=en&filter=0

Keith Tyler [PersonRank 1]

16 years ago #

I've seen some painfully egregious typos in some online maps which I chalked up to idiocy, and now I wonder if I attributed to ignorance what is really explained by malice.

Tony Ruscoe [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

How do they prove that the trap streets are theirs? Especially if they're routinely denied! Surely, if I rip off Tele Atlas's data and they ask how one of their trap streets got into my map, I'd tell them I placed that trap street there just in case anyone copied my maps... no?

pjh [PersonRank 1]

16 years ago #

> I'd tell them I placed that trap street there just in case anyone copied
> my maps...

In cases like this, I'd imagine the people with the best lawyers would win... :)

MJ Rich [PersonRank 6]

16 years ago #

In Tele Atlas V. Tony Ruscoe? I think they've got you.

jim's tips [PersonRank 1]

16 years ago #

This is so funny to me! Why? Because when I was in college in the late 80's, my friends and I used to play the game Trivial Pursuit all the time. One game, I was asked a Science question, and when I gave the answer (correct answer, mind you) it was in fact wrong according to the card. I was so pissed, because I KNEW that the card was wrong. So pissed that I actually wrote a letter to the company (this was before email) and asked what was going on. They sent me a nice letter (form letter, but nice none-the-less) stating that they occasionally intentionally include incorrect answers to help combat copyright infringement issues. Oh, and they also apologized for me losing that turn... ;-)

Now, I only wish that the subdivision that I live in (which has had completed roads for almost 10 years) would some day actually show up on Google Maps. It's there on the satellite view, but not on the street view making giving people directions to our house a bit more tedious than usual. I emailed them with the coordinates and information, but it's been almost a year and we're still "off the grid"...maybe that's a good thing....

Roger Browne [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

This is another reason why copyright should be reformed or abolished. We could finally get more accurate maps and Trivial Pursuit questions!

There are two providers of maps for my city, and I consulted both extensively when I organised a street orienteering event. One map has lots of mis-spelled streets. I didn't find any errors on the other.

Mike Sullivan [PersonRank 1]

16 years ago #

Here's an example of a trap street: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Pembroke+Rd,+Bethesda,+MD+20817,+USA&ie=UTF8&ll=38.97784,-77.11127&spn=0.005813,0.007167&t=h&z=17&om=1
The curve at the southeastern end of Pembroke Road doesn't exist in the real world; the road ends without going through.

Freiddie [PersonRank 7]

16 years ago #

Pretty clever trick!

Forum home

Advertisement

 
Blog  |  Forum     more >> Archive | Feed | Google's blogs | About
Advertisement

 

This site unofficially covers Google™ and more with some rights reserved. Join our forum!