USPTO will actually search for this kind of thing (assuming the situation is as-described, which I suspect is not assured). Source: this happened to me -- I wro

USPTO will actually search for this kind of thing (assuming the situation is as-described, which I suspect is not assured). Source: this happened to me -- I wrote an internal doc describing a new product feature. That doc was used both our product documentation team has the basis for user documentation; and by our patent team as the basis for a patent application. When the patent was reviewed, the examiner found the user doc on the internet and rejected the application due to prior art. We had to prove to the USPTO that both were derived from an older doc (by finding the older doc with timestamp and sending it to them with associated legal knobs and whistles).