"trap street", "trap town"; also "Chinese entries"

[Joel S. Berson]

None of these are in the OED.

"Trap street" (Wikipedia):  A trap street is a
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_entry>fictitious entry in
the form of a misrepresented
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street>street on a
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map>map, often outside the area the map
nominally covers, for the purpose of "trapping" potential
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright>copyright violators of the
map, who will be unable to justify the inclusion of the "trap street"
on their map. On maps that are not of streets, other
"<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_trap>copyright trap"
features (such as non-existent towns or mountains with the wrong
elevations) may be inserted or altered for the same purpose."

Googling Books:

For "trap towns" + "fictitious"  --

1968: three instances, all relating to the same case (Reliance
Guide):.  E.g., The Federal Reporter, Court of Claims, District of
Columbia, Court of Appeals, snippet view.  "... Other compelling
proof of infringement appears in defendant's copying of five of
plaintiff's 50 new fictitious "trap" towns into the Reliance Guide,
his use of plaintiff's guide in updating post office information in
various states, ..."

1974: The Bulletin of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A, vol. 22,
alleged 1974, snippet.  "Apparently, the defendant escaped liability
because the trap towns accounted for only five out of some ninety
thousand entries in his shipping rate directory. In Case 30, the
plaintiffs included twelve fictitious models in their piston ..."

For "trap street(s)" + "fictitious" --

1997: The United States Patents Quarterly, alleged 1997,
snippet.  "... for detecting and demonstrating copying by showing
that the fictitious entries also appear in the alleged infringer's
work. ... Approximately 200 trap streets exist in ADC's maps in suit.
' The allegedly infringing Franklin Maps' ..."  [Seems like there
should be earlier.]

"Chinese entries" is alleged to be a term used to refer to fictitious
data inserted into published books.  (Presumably of the same class
and vintage as "Chinese fire drill", etc.)  Probably very difficult to trace.

Joel

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