Product and intended use
Define the configuration, people, information and tasks being assessed.
Product and version covered
Public claim only
This covers AI-Assisted Search version 1.0 inside PATENTSCOPE, announced by WIPO on 2 July 2026 and reached from the Simple search interface or the Search menu after logging in with a WIPO account. WIPO states version 1.0 'focuses on keyword-based searches with date ranges and country codes' and lists applicant and assignee name searches, standard-essential-patent (SEP) queries and patent-number searches as planned enhancements, so those are not in scope today.
Ask: Which version of AI-Assisted Search is live for our accounts, and when will applicant, assignee, SEP and patent-number query generation be released?
What the AI does and does not do
Public claim only
WIPO states the assistant 'builds PATENTSCOPE search queries based on instructions you submit in your language', that the process is iterative and that 'Queries are generated leveraging search keywords, publication dates, and country codes' (2 July 2026). Retrieval, matching and ranking are performed by the existing PATENTSCOPE search engine, which WIPO does not describe as AI. Worked examples on the page include 'Solar panels with efficiency improvements from 2022' and 'Patents from China about electric cars with IPC codes'.
Ask: Does the assistant ever alter the retrieval or ranking behaviour of the PATENTSCOPE engine, or only compose the query string the engine then runs?
Deployment and where the model runs
Public claim only
The launch item states: 'The language model is hosted on WIPO premises. Your search queries are kept confidential and executed only on WIPO servers.' It names no country, region or data centre, and the statement sits on a news page rather than in the Terms of Use, which are silent on where processing occurs. The Data Privacy Notice states WIPO's headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, but does not tie the assistant's servers to that or any other location.
Ask: In which country are the WIPO premises and servers that host the language model and execute AI-Assisted Search instructions, and is that statement available in writing to a subscriber?
Coverage and jurisdictional scope
Public claim only
The PATENTSCOPE page (read 2026-09-27) states the database provides published PCT applications in full text on the day of publication, patent documents from participating national and regional offices, and non-patent literature. The Terms of Use state that WIPO publishes national and regional data as provided by the offices concerned and will not change it on a user's direct request (clause 4.2), and that text under the Description and Claims tabs is produced by optical character recognition and is 'therefore prone to error' (clause 4.1). Australian patent data coverage was not separately verified on the pages read.
Ask: Which Australian collections are included and how current are they, and does the assistant restrict or expand the collections a query runs against?
Vendor content directing how AI describes the product
Not confirmed
Checked deliberately on 2026-09-27 for a page or block telling AI models, assistants or crawlers how to describe the product. None was found on the launch item, the WIPO AI tools and applications page, the PATENTSCOPE page, the PATENTSCOPE Terms of Use or the WIPO Data Privacy Notice, and a saved 26-URL list for wipo.int surfaced no /llms.txt, /ai-info or /for-ai page. The check is limited to those pages and that URL list.
Ask: Does WIPO publish any page or metadata addressed to AI models or crawlers about how its services should be described?
Data, controls and requirements
Compare the actual configuration with firm, client and jurisdiction requirements, supported by evidence.
Client authority and professional confidentiality
Not confirmed
Search instructions for prior-art and clearance work can contain unpublished invention details or client identifiers. WIPO states on the launch page that 'Your search queries are kept confidential and executed only on WIPO servers' and that 'To protect the confidentiality of your search activities, we do not analyze user logs'. Neither statement appears in the Terms of Use or the Data Privacy Notice, which address personal data and database use and say nothing about client confidential information. Clause 4.5 of the terms states that a search result does not imply any legal opinion by WIPO.
Ask: Will WIPO give a written confidentiality undertaking covering search instructions that contain unpublished invention details or client identifiers, given the Terms of Use contain none?
Foundation-model provider
Not confirmed
WIPO states only that 'The language model is hosted on WIPO premises'. No model name, version, size, provenance or supplier is published on the launch item, the WIPO AI tools and applications page, the PATENTSCOPE page, the Terms of Use or the Data Privacy Notice. Because WIPO says the model is self-hosted, no third-party model endpoint is disclosed, but nothing read confirms the model was built by WIPO rather than obtained under licence.
Ask: Which language model does AI-Assisted Search run, who supplies or licenses it, and is any part of a submitted instruction sent to a third-party model provider?
Subprocessors
Not confirmed
No subprocessor register is published for PATENTSCOPE or the assistant. The Data Privacy Notice states at clause 9.1 that WIPO 'may share Personal Data with third party service providers for the purpose of providing WIPO services and products', granted access only to what is 'reasonably necessary', and at clause 10.2 that where personal data is transferred to a third party WIPO will ensure sufficient guarantees of technical and organisational measures. No provider is named and no list is offered.
Ask: Which third parties can access WIPO account data, search instructions or assistant logs, in which countries, and is a current list available?
Training or tuning on submitted instructions
Not confirmed
Neither the Terms of Use nor the Data Privacy Notice states whether submitted instructions are used to train, tune or evaluate the model. The launch item says WIPO is 'expanding the assistant's capabilities based on user input', that 'we do not analyze user logs', and asks users to send generic query patterns rather than actual queries, noting 'We understand users may prefer not to share actual search queries.' The Data Privacy Notice states personal data is processed to 'improve its services and products' (clause 6.2).
Ask: Is there a written commitment that submitted search instructions are not used to train, tune or evaluate the model, and how does that sit with the clause 6.2 service-improvement purpose?
Feedback and quality monitoring
Public claim only
The launch item invites feedback through an in-app feedback button or by email to patentscope@wipo.int, states 'your direct feedback is essential to improving the tool', and says generic query patterns are equally helpful for development. Nothing published says what is retained from a feedback submission or who reads it, and the Terms of Use contain no feedback clause.
Ask: What is stored from an in-app feedback submission, for how long, and can a submission be withdrawn?
Retention of instructions, generated queries and logs
Public claim only
The Data Privacy Notice (last updated 16 October 2023, incorporated into the Terms of Use by clause 9) states at clause 8 that personal data 'is only retained for the time that is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected' and is then removed and securely destroyed or anonymised. It also states at clause 4.3 that IP addresses and browsing behaviour may be processed. No retention period is published for submitted instructions, generated queries or assistant logs, and the statement that WIPO does not analyse user logs does not say whether logs are kept.
Ask: For how long are submitted instructions, generated queries and assistant logs retained, and is any of that retention configurable or avoidable?
Deletion and erasure rights
Public claim only
The Data Privacy Notice states at clause 11.2 that a data subject may request access, object to processing, or request correction or deletion, in writing in a WIPO working language. Clause 11.3 lists grounds on which a request may be rejected in whole or part, including that it is impossible, inappropriate or would involve disproportionate effort, that it conflicts with WIPO's overriding operational needs and priorities, that processing is necessary for archiving or statistical purposes, or that processing is necessary for a task carried out in the exercise of official authority vested in WIPO. No deletion path specific to search instructions is published.
Ask: Can a user obtain deletion of submitted search instructions and written confirmation of it, given the grounds for rejection in clause 11.3?
Staff and provider access to submitted content
Not confirmed
Nothing published states which WIPO staff can read submitted instructions or under what approval. The Data Privacy Notice limits third-party service-provider access to what is reasonably necessary (clause 9.1) and states appropriate physical, technical and administrative controls are implemented (clause 10.1), without describing internal access control, approval or logging for the assistant.
Ask: Which WIPO roles can read a user's submitted instructions or assistant logs, under what approval, and is that access logged and auditable by the account holder?
Accounts, authentication and audit
Public claim only
The assistant requires a WIPO account. Terms of Use clause 7 states the user chooses a login name and password for identification, that login information is personal and confidential, that the user is responsible for damages arising from its disclosure, and that the user must notify WIPO of unauthorised use as soon as they are aware. No multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, role model or account audit log is described on the pages read.
Ask: Is multi-factor authentication or single sign-on available for WIPO accounts used by our patent team, and can a firm administrator see account activity?
Encryption in transit and at rest
Public claim only
Terms of Use clause 3.2 states 'The PATENTSCOPE Database is serviced through an industry standard secured https:// protocol' and that 'The User's requests for translation and the transmission of the translated texts are secured by the standard encrypted communication protocol'. That clause addresses the database and translation requests, not AI-Assisted Search specifically, and names no protocol version or cipher. The Data Privacy Notice describes appropriate controls (clause 10.1) without addressing encryption at rest or key management.
Ask: Confirm the transport and at-rest encryption applied to AI-Assisted Search instructions and logs, given clause 3.2 addresses only the database and translation requests.
Independent security assurance
Not confirmed
No SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001 or equivalent certification or audit report is claimed on the launch item, the WIPO AI tools and applications page, the PATENTSCOPE page, the Terms of Use or the Data Privacy Notice. Clause 3.1 of the terms provides the service on a best-effort basis and clause 4.1 provides the data strictly as is.
Ask: Does WIPO hold an ISO/IEC 27001 certification or equivalent independent assurance covering the systems that host and run AI-Assisted Search, and can a report or summary be provided?
Contract, liability and forum
Public claim only
Use is governed by click-accepted Terms of Use (last updated October 2025) with no signed agreement, no DPA and no AI-specific schedule. Clause 4.1 provides data strictly as is with the user 'fully and solely responsible' for use and consequences; clause 6.2 excludes liability for direct, incidental, consequential, liquidated, special, punitive or exemplary damages, including loss of business, revenue or profits; clause 11 states nothing waives WIPO's privileges and immunities as an international organisation; clause 12 refers disputes to arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, with the parties bound by the award as final. There is no national court forum and no liability cap expressed as a sum.
Ask: Will WIPO enter a written agreement with a firm for AI-Assisted Search, or is the click-accepted Terms of Use with UNCITRAL arbitration and preserved immunities the only instrument available?
Cross-border processing and APP 8
Not confirmed
No country or region is published for the servers that run the assistant. WIPO states the model is hosted on WIPO premises and queries are executed only on WIPO servers; the Data Privacy Notice states WIPO's headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, and allows sharing with third-party service providers without naming countries. No Australian hosting or residency option is published, and the immunities clause means an Australian firm has no national-law recourse over a transfer.
Ask: In which countries are submitted instructions processed, stored and backed up, and is there any option for an Australian firm to keep that processing out of a named country?
Incident notification
Not confirmed
Neither the Terms of Use nor the Data Privacy Notice contains a breach-notification commitment, a notification period or a reference to any notifiable-breach scheme. Clause 10.1 of the notice describes controls to secure personal data from unauthorised or accidental access, damage or loss, and clause 7 of the terms requires the user to notify WIPO of unauthorised use of login information. No incident history for PATENTSCOPE was found on the pages read.
Ask: If search instructions or account data are exposed, who will WIPO notify, within what period, and how would an Australian firm meet its own notifiable data breach obligations without that commitment?
Change notice for terms, data and the assistant
Public claim only
Terms of Use clause 10 states WIPO may amend the terms at any time at its sole discretion, with amendments posted on the website and taking effect immediately following posting unless stated otherwise. Clause 5 states WIPO reserves the right to modify, remove or correct any data at any time in its sole discretion and without prior notification. The Data Privacy Notice states the same for itself at clause 14. The launch item publishes a roadmap but no notice commitment for model or feature changes.
Ask: Will WIPO give advance notice before changing the model behind AI-Assisted Search or the query elements it can generate, given amendments take effect immediately on posting?
Export and exit
Not confirmed
Nothing published describes closing a WIPO account, exporting saved searches or query history, or what is removed on closure. The Terms of Use point the other way on bulk extraction: clause 2.1 forbids automated queries and bulk acquisition, downloading, storing, copying, reformatting, sharing and redistribution of data, and clause 3.3 directs users who need data in bulk to paid PCT data products.
Ask: How does a firm close WIPO accounts used for AI-Assisted Search, what is deleted on closure, and can search history be exported first given the clause 2.1 restrictions?
Connectors, APIs and automation
Public claim only
No API, plug-in or connector for AI-Assisted Search is published. Terms of Use clause 2.1 forbids automated queries and web scraping; clause 2.3 states that webmasters wishing to deep link to PATENTSCOPE are invited to contact WIPO for authorisation; clause 3.3 offers paid PCT data products and services as the route to bulk data. The WIPO AI tools and applications page links other WIPO AI services (machine translation, classification assistants, image similarity search) as separate tools rather than integrations of this feature.
Ask: Is any API, MCP or scripted access to AI-Assisted Search available or permitted, given clause 2.1 forbids automated queries?
Open-web retrieval
Public claim only
WIPO describes the assistant as generating queries that run against PATENTSCOPE, and states queries are 'executed only on WIPO servers'. The PATENTSCOPE page states the collections searched are PCT applications, patent documents from participating national and regional offices and non-patent literature. No page read states that the assistant retrieves anything from the open web, and none states positively that it cannot.
Ask: Does the assistant or its model retrieve anything from outside the PATENTSCOPE collections, including the open web, when composing a query?
Autonomy and action control
Public claim only
The launch item describes a user-driven loop: 'Simply describe what you're looking for, and the assistant will generate a query ready to execute. You can then refine the query by providing additional instructions.' Execution and refinement are described as user actions, and nothing published says the assistant can run searches, save results, send anything or act outside that loop. There is no published administrator control over the feature.
Ask: Can the assistant execute a search, store results or take any other action without a user command, and can an organisation disable the feature for its accounts?
Human review before reliance
Public claim only
The output is a search query the user runs and refines, so a human step is inherent to the design as published. The Terms of Use put the burden of checking on the user: clause 4.1 makes the user 'fully and solely responsible' for use of the data and notes Description and Claims text is OCR-derived and prone to error, clause 4.5 states that a search result does not imply any legal opinion by WIPO, and clause 4.4 recommends manual translation before decisions are made on machine-translated patent text.
Ask: What testing supports the queries the assistant generates, and what does WIPO recommend a searcher verify before relying on a generated query for a clearance or prior-art opinion?
