paper town

English

Noun

paper town (plural paper towns)

1. (cartography) A nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others.

   Synonym: phantom settlement

   Hypernym: copyright trap

2. (US) Synonym of paper township; a town that exists in name only.
   • 2018, Russell M. Smith, Municipal Incorporation Activity in the United States: Patterns, People and Procedures, Springer, →ISBN, page 31:

     Numerous “paper towns” were created often in an effort to block impending municipal annexation advances by existing municipalities.

See also

• trap street