According to WIPO circular C.SCIT 2650/08 of April 25, 2008 the entire contents of the updated WIPO Handbook in English, French and Spanish is available on WIPO’s web site at http://www.wipo.int/standards.

This new form of publication of the Handbook that had been published at first in printed form, later on CD-ROM and now is presented as a web site with links to the corresponding parts of WIPO’s web site is a result of a revision of its contents and structure in the framework of international co-operation under the aegis of WIPO.

The Handbook is not only an authoritative source of the WIPO standards, recommendations and guidelines in the sphere of IP information and documentation (See: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standards). It also contains a wealth of various reference information related to inventions, utility models, trademarks and industrial designs. The Handbook consists of the following parts:

1. Introduction
2. International Cooperation
3. WIPO Standards
4. PCT Minimum Documentation
5. International Classifications
6. Access to Industrial Property Information
7. Examples and IPO Practices
8. Terms and Abbreviations concerning Industrial Property Information and Documentation.

Besides, this online publication of the Handbook is equipped with a multitude of links to other WIPO web pages and the means for direct changeover between the interrelated parts of the Handbook. There is also an online document archive containing outdated documents that however may be of interest to users of IP information and documentation. Users can overview the previous versions of the WIPO standards and see the amendments introduced to their texts as a result of different revisions.

The target users of the Handbook are both the IPO staff and general public. It is aimed to enhance usage of industrial property information and documentation.