The third requirement for patent protection mainly aims to distinguish between aesthetical and scientific inventions. The term "industry" should be interpreted very broadly; it also includes agriculture. It does exclude methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy and diagnostic methods practice on the human or animal body. Perpetual motion machines also fail to meet this requirement.
In some countries, the third requirement is referred to as "utility"; however, interpretation and scope of this term is generally the same as that of the industrial application. International patent treaties often use "utility" and "industrial application" as synonyms.
