Prior Art - Strategic consideration in a changing prior art landscape

Abstract: At the same time as there are prior art out there to invalidate almost any patent, we are living in a time where there is an abundance of information. The emergence of internet has made the source from which we can look for prior art virtually endless. This is where this thesis takes its starting point as it explores the relevant criteria for prior art in different patent areas and also looks at different emerging ways to get hold of these lost pieces of relevant information. The analysis is based on the current discussion among IP practitioners around prior art. This is a discussion that mostly is done online on blogs, in journals and to some extent in books. It is concluded that in order to take full use of the more conventional and the emerging collaborative ways of searching for prior art it needs to be approached with the overall strategy in mind.