Terms & Privacy

Pipkin ratings are expressions of independent opinion based on documented, standardized methodology. They represent the professional judgment of Pipkin Ratings LLC applied through the Pipkin Framework v0.1 and its subsequent versions.

Ratings are not guarantees of performance, safety, suitability, or fitness for any particular purpose. A Pipkin rating reflects the evaluated agent’s performance against the Standard Core Battery at the time of evaluation. Agent behavior may change following evaluation due to updates, modifications, or changes in operating conditions.

Pipkin ratings are protected speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, consistent with the legal protections afforded to other rating agencies including, but not limited to, credit rating agencies recognized by the SEC.

Published Pipkin ratings, scores, and status tiers may be referenced, cited, and discussed in editorial, journalistic, academic, and internal business contexts with proper attribution to Pipkin Ratings LLC and PipkinRated.com.

The Pipkin trust badge design, the “PIPKIN RATED” mark, and the composite visual identity of the badge are proprietary to Pipkin IP LLC. Display of the trust badge by rated entities is subject to the terms of the Badge Usage Agreement provided upon certification.

Commercial use of Pipkin ratings data beyond reference and citation — including but not limited to integration into software products, automated retrieval, or redistribution — requires an Enterprise API subscription.

Evaluation fees cover the cost of conducting the evaluation using the Pipkin Framework. Payment does not guarantee any particular outcome, rating, status tier, or score. The evaluation fee is non-refundable once the evaluation has commenced.

All evaluation results are published on PipkinRated.com unless otherwise specified in writing under an Enterprise Private Evaluation agreement. Developers receive a 5-day factual accuracy check to flag factual errors only — such as a deprecated version tested or a misidentified capability. The score itself is never disclosed prior to publication. There is no negotiation. The developer and the public see the score at the same moment.

Submission of an agent for evaluation constitutes agreement to the Client Scope Agreement, which governs the evaluation relationship in full.

Developers may request up to three (3) re-tests per rating cycle at 50% of the original evaluation fee. A minimum of 14 days must elapse between re-test attempts. Each re-test uses a different test form from the Standard Core Battery to prevent memorization. The best score per pillar across all attempts is retained as the published score.

After three re-tests, a 12-month waiting period applies before the next evaluation cycle. Disqualifying conditions identified during any attempt remain on the agent’s permanent record regardless of subsequent re-test results.

All content on PipkinRated.com, including but not limited to the Pipkin Framework, the Pipkin Injection Suite, the Standard Core Battery, scoring rubrics, evaluation report formats, the Pipkin trust badge design, and the PIPKIN and PIPKIN RATED marks, are the intellectual property of Pipkin IP LLC.

The Pipkin Framework methodology is published for transparency purposes. This publication does not constitute a license to use, reproduce, or create derivative works from the methodology for commercial evaluation purposes without written permission from Pipkin IP LLC.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PIPKIN RATINGS LLC, PIPKIN IP LLC, PIPKIN HOLDINGS LLC, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE PIPKIN RATINGS, THE SITE, OR ANY EVALUATION SERVICES, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY (CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE), EVEN IF PIPKIN HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

IN NO EVENT SHALL PIPKIN’S TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY THE USER FOR EVALUATION SERVICES IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000), WHICHEVER IS LESS.

Developers who believe a rating contains factual errors may submit a written dispute within 30 days of publication. Disputes must identify the specific factual error and provide supporting evidence. Methodological disagreements and subjective interpretations are not grounds for dispute.

Pipkin will review disputes within 15 business days and issue a written determination. If a factual error is confirmed, Pipkin will correct the rating and publish an amended report. If the dispute is not upheld, the original rating stands and the determination is final.

The following formal process governs all disputes related to published Pipkin Ratings:

Step 1: Developer submits a written dispute to evaluations@pipkinrated.com within 30 days of publication. The dispute must identify specific factual errors with supporting evidence.

Step 2: Pipkin acknowledges receipt within 5 business days.

Step 3: Pipkin reviews the disputed findings within 15 business days. Review is conducted by the original evaluator and, where available, one additional reviewer.

Step 4: Possible outcomes: (a) Factual error confirmed — rating is corrected and republished with amendment notice; (b) Dispute not upheld — original rating stands, determination is final; (c) Partial correction — specific findings corrected, composite score recalculated if materially affected.

Step 5: All disputes and outcomes are documented in the agent’s permanent file. The dispute itself is not published unless the developer requests it.

Note: Methodological disagreements and subjective interpretations of scores are NOT grounds for dispute. Disputes must cite specific, verifiable factual errors in the evaluation data.