Re: [Patents] How to provide prior art info?

["Alec Clelland" <alec@clelland.net>]

> As Greg mentioned for instance Star Trek, concerning my mistake about
> the MS application on an instant translator, how likely is it that the
> examiners will search through SF publications? (I know this happened
> for the communication satellite which was rejected because Arthur C
> Clarke had already published about it)
>
Many, many years ago, when I was a young examiner, a well-known mobile phone
company filed a patent application for a cellphone which could be folded in
half - the kind of design which is standard today. I cited a Star Trek
communicator. But the principal examiner didn't like the references to "beam
me up Scottie" and to an apparatus being "invented in about 400 years time".

> (I also have the feeling, that, certain examiners, due to a potential
> economical gain in granting a patent, despite how obvious it is, may
> not search very thoroughly...)

No. In my (admittedly ancient) experience there is considerable intellectual
satisfaction in finding relevant prior art.

Alec Clelland