<P> There is a trend towards global harmonization of patent laws, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) being particularly active in this area . The TRIPS Agreement has been largely successful in providing a forum for nations to agree on an aligned set of patent laws . Conformity with the TRIPS agreement is a requirement of admission to the WTO and so compliance is seen by many nations as important . This has also led to many developing nations, which may historically have developed different laws to aid their development, enforcing patents laws in line with global practice . </P> <P> Internationally, there are international treaty procedures, such as the procedures under the European Patent Convention (EPC) (constituting the European Patent Organisation (EPOrg)), that centralize some portion of the filing and examination procedure . Similar arrangements exist among the member states of ARIPO and OAPI, the analogous treaties among African countries, and the nine CIS member states that have formed the Eurasian Patent Organization . A key international convention relating to patents is the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, initially signed in 1883 . The Paris Convention sets out a range of basic rules relating to patents, and although the convention does not have direct legal effect in all national jurisdictions, the principles of the convention are incorporated into all notable current patent systems . The most significant aspect of the convention is the provision of the right to claim priority: filing an application in any one member state of the Paris Convention preserves the right for one year to file in any other member state, and receive the benefit of the original filing date . Another key treaty is the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), administered by WIPO and covering more than 150 countries . The Patent Cooperation Treaty provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in each of its contracting states . A patent application filed under the PCT is called an international application, or PCT application . </P> <P> A patent is requested by filing a written application at the relevant patent office . The person or company filing the application is referred to as "the applicant". The applicant may be the inventor or its assignee . The application contains a description of how to make and use the invention that must provide sufficient detail for a person skilled in the art (i.e., the relevant area of technology) to make and use the invention . In some countries there are requirements for providing specific information such as the usefulness of the invention, the best mode of performing the invention known to the inventor, or the technical problem or problems solved by the invention . Drawings illustrating the invention may also be provided . </P> <P> The application also includes one or more claims that define what a patent covers or the "scope of protection". </P>

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