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The "prior art" thing is a funny business. It is impossible to be exhaustive in your search. You may not happen to use the correct terms for a similar feature or item.
But when we submit patent applications our resulting patent is stronger if we include as much prior art as possible and explain why ours is different. Sometimes we miss prior art that a patent examiner spots and points out. Then there is a dialog where we try to convince the examiner why that art does not apply.
All of this is semi-public information but you have to actually read the patent 'wrapper' to see all the give-and-take. You only see a list of referenced patents on the title page of the final patent, none of the arguments that flew back and forth before granting it.
At the end of the day the result is still not perfect. We sometimes go to another company and claim patent infringement and they end up finding a prior art that NOBODY else found. Heh, usually vice-versa (I do more defending than attacking).
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