In
cartography a "paper street" is a street or some map feature that exists only on the map and not in real life. Many
map makers employ a "paper street" (sometimes called a "key trap") to prevent competing map makers from simply copying their maps and selling them as if they did all the
hard surveying work themselves. A map maker can verify
plagiarism by seeing if the other map company dutifully recopied the paper street.
In the '20,
Esso had such a problem with other gas stations copying their maps that on their map for
New York state, they invented a "paper town" called Agloe.
Other key trap techniques include slightly altering the path of a single side street.
Larger, established map makers like
Rand McNally deny they employ the paper street technique to protect their maps.