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We had a fantastic session of 'Introduction to IP' today delivered by our business Librarian Tony. This session will run every month and is completely free so there's no reason not to book for next month right now by clicking below!
(1/6) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-ip-how-to-identify-and-protect-your-ip-assets-tickets-131909642291?aff=
(1/6) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-ip-how-to-identify-and-protect-your-ip-assets-tickets-131909642291?aff=
On that note, here's a fun fact of the day. Ever wondered how people protected their IP before @The_IPO existed to help them? Well one way cartographers did so was by the use of 'Trap streets' (2/6)
By adding non-existent streets to their maps, cartographers could tell if someone else decided to copy them wholesale as there was no way to explain the existence of the street on a map if it wasn't copied from one of theirs. (3/6)
This can still be used today! An example is Oxygen Street in Edinburgh which was recently accidentally included on some online maps:
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/mystery-edinburghs-oxygen-street-and-why-you-can-never-go-there-2000963
(4/6)
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/mystery-edinburghs-oxygen-street-and-why-you-can-never-go-there-2000963
(4/6)
These types of copyright traps are sometimes called 'Fictitious Entries' or (my favourite) 'Mountweazels', so named after the entry for fictional American photographer 'Lillian Virginia Mountweazel' which was designed to catch those copying entries from the 4th edition (5/6)
of the New Columbia Encyclopedia (1975). There are more interesting examples of copyright traps below!
https://www.thoughtco.com/mountweazel-words-term-1691330#:~:text=A%20Mountweazel%20is%20a%20bogus,%5BNCE%5D%20(1975).
(6/6)
https://www.thoughtco.com/mountweazel-words-term-1691330#:~:text=A%20Mountweazel%20is%20a%20bogus,%5BNCE%5D%20(1975).
(6/6)
