Google Patents Search Engine Update Nabs Prior Art Finder

A brand new update has been released for Google Patents, a search engine specifically for users hoping to license their creations with the government without overlap. Users will now be able to utilize not only the archives included in Google Patents previous to today, but the European Patent Office has been integrated as well. This update also includes a brand new Prior Art Finder for those of you making it easy to find multiple sources for related content that existed at the time the patent you're looking at was filed.

This update integrates such gems as the Moisture-tight edible film dispenser and method thereof with your already massive set of searchable patents. It also allows you to simply click the "Find prior art" button to make sure there's nothing out there that could be considered invented before your favorite item at hand. Watch out for the law!

In addition to allowing you inventors to make a claim on your great ideas, this resource is fabulous for students looking to track the sources of inventions as well. Hours of fun can be had by users of all walks of life in typing in the term "butt" or "anti-gravity" – anyone can do it!

This update notes that Google earlier this year released an update to Google Translate which incorporated the European Patent Office's parallel patent texts. Now the EPO continues to translate for Google between English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Swedish – with more languages on the way all the time. Google also continues to work with the United States Patent & Trademark Office to bulk up their repository of USPTO bulk data – stay strong, lawyers! Download that 10 terabyte patent and trademark file collection right now!

[via Research at Google]