Editing Prior art (section)

====Novelty====
A "novelty search" is a prior art search that is often conducted by [[patent attorney|patent attorneys, patent agents]] or professional patent searchers before a [[patent application]] is filed. A novelty search helps an inventor determine if the invention is novel before committing the resources necessary to obtain a patent. The search may include searching in databases of patents, patent applications and other documents such as [[utility model]]s and in the [[scientific literature]]. Novelty searches can also be used to help an inventor determine what is unique about their invention. Anything not found in the prior art can be potentially patentable. [[Thomas Edison]], for example, did not get a patent on the basic concept of the light bulb. It was already patented and therefore forms part of the prior art.  Instead, Edison got a patent on his improvements to the light bulb. These improvements included a very thin filament and a reliable technique for joining the white hot filament to the room temperature lead wires.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2014/10/11/why-inventors-should-not-rely-on-their-own-search/id=51591/ |title=Mark Nowotarski, "Why Inventors Should Not Rely On Their Own Search", IPWatchdog, 11 October 2014 |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-date=9 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109134909/http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2014/10/11/why-inventors-should-not-rely-on-their-own-search/id=51591/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

A novelty search is also conducted by [[patent examiner]]s during prosecution of the patent application. For instance, examiner's search guidelines applicable to the United States are found in the U.S. [[Manual of Patent Examining Procedure]] (MPEP) 904.02 General Search Guidelines, Prior Art, Classification, and Search.<ref name="usptoSearchGL">USPTO, ''[http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/0900_904_02.htm#sect904.02 Manual of Patent Examining Procedure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926191627/http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/0900_904_02.htm#sect904.02 |date=2011-09-26 }}'', "General Search Guidelines [R-3] - 900 Prior Art, Classification, and Search", July 2010.</ref>