Do I have to claim future applications of an intervention? Do I need an application at all?
In this article it is written:
Zwar wird in Patentanmeldungen üblicherweise nur eine Erfindung beschrieben, jedoch werden in den Patentansprüchen (englisch: claims), speziell wenn eine grundsätzliche Idee beansprucht werden soll, oft alle möglichen Implementierungen und (auch erst in Zukunft entdeckte) Verwendungen der Idee beansprucht.
Although patent applications usually describe only one invention, claims, especially when a basic idea is to be claimed, often claim all possible implementations and (even future discovered) uses of the idea.
I thought only for medical applications like the use of drugs it is possible to claim an existing patent for a different application. But for a, let's assume some mechanical component or whatsoever, I have to foresee all possible applications? Otherwise it is free to use (for a specific non-claimed application) for everyone?