What is meant by “industry” in the context of industrial applicability for patents?
In the context of industrial applicability for patents, the term “industry” is interpreted very broadly. As stated in PCT Article 33(4):
“‘Industry’ shall be understood in its broadest sense, as in the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.”
This broad interpretation means that “industry” is not limited to manufacturing or traditional industrial sectors. It encompasses any practical, technological application of an invention in fields such as agriculture, handicraft, fishery, services, and even liberal professions. The key is that the invention can be made or used in a technological sense, contributing to any field of human economic activity.
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