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A comment on On the ubiquity of web-enabled microphones. Parent comment

Re:On the ubiquity of web-enabled microphones by eemax on Wednesday January 28, 2015 @06:43PM (#8963332)
In the US, the rule used to be first to file, but is now first to invent (along with the rest of the world) since the enactment of the America Invents Act in 2013.

First to file/invent isn't actually relevant for prior art though. Any publicly available source that describes the invention can serve as prior art. However, patent lawyers are very good at "writing around" existing patents and other prior art.

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Re:On the ubiquity of web-enabled microphones by jrazavian on Wednesday January 28, 2015 @06:51PM (#8963376)
Actually, you have it backwards. The US was previously a first-to-invent country but as of March 2013 is now first-to-file. This brings the US in line with the rest of the modern world, which is already mostly first-to-file.
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Re:On the ubiquity of web-enabled microphones by felixfurtak on Wednesday January 28, 2015 @07:48PM (#8963650)
Is it possible to patent something that is already in the public domain?
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