Practice” in this sense refers to the application through courts and the administration (e.g. IP offices) of a country’s IP laws and regulations. Read together, paragraphs 1 and 5 of the Decision on the 2013 Extension mean that LDCs are required to maintain their general IP laws, regulations and practice as they were before the start of the additional transition period (i.e. 1 January 2006). Those developing countries that on 1 January 2000 did not provide product patent protection to certain areas of technology (particularly including pharmaceutical products) were granted an additional period of 5 years (until 1 January 2005) to introduce such protection (Article 65.4, TRIPS Agreement). Org/imrd/directdoc.asp7DDFDocuments/t/IP/C/40.doc).