sorry - for not confirming back then (or I think I did confirm, but maybe in a different thread). I'm still using the patch without problems.
I had and will have for the next weeks some time constraints - but will be more active on the mailing list from Feb onwards again.
I still think it's useful BTW. (main gripe being that some new units like edge 1000, GPS Maps 64 series and some new Nuvis don't work with mkgmap unicode maps and report maps locked.
I would guess Andrzej is the expert on this - but what I remember he also saw no easy (without completely reprogramming mkgmap) solution to get around the prob.