I’m not a Patent Lawyer, and have no idea as to how to conduct a patent search, but I’m certain that there are a lot of people in my category who will turn to Google to do a little looking through the new Google Patent site at www.google.com/patents. You can find more information at the Google Blog, or on the help page. Searching can be free text in a typical Google box, or an advanced search using forms to isolate patents by name, patent number, issue or filing date, inventor, assignee, or classification in addition to free text Boolean searching. Results include drawings.
I’m not certain how the Google page differs, in function from the form-based searching available from the Patent Office, let alone what is available on Lexis and Westlaw. But I will be taking a look around when I have a chance, next year. I should note that the Google effort is in Beta — as are most Google services when they are brought out — and covers searching of issued patents, only. You’ll have to do your searching of non-patent prior art separately.
I suspect that large corporations or patent attorneys, themselves, may not change their current search methods, but a lot of would-be inventors may take a look before setting out to visit the patent attorney.
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