Hop, hop…

It might be a bit of a digression from antique maps, but a bit more on “map bunnies”. This time they are referred to by the (perhaps less politically correct) term of of “Easter Eggs”.  I am familiar with the term and their use in software applications, but the article at Plagiarism Today points out their value for some of today’s cartographers:

One case, in 1999, hinged on such markers. The case pitted The Automobile Association (AA) against Ordnance Survey (OS). OS, an executive agency for the UK Government, claimed that AA, one of the largest map makers in the country, illegally copied thousands of their maps, a violation of crown copyright (Note: In England, most government works enjoy copyright protection, unlike in the United States).

[tags]Cartography, Mapmaking[/tags]