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InterMute Defines Good Manners for Search Engines

InterMute Releases Suggested Principles for Search Engines to Follow for
Sponsored Search Advertising

BRAINTREE, Mass. - May 20, 2004 - InterMute released today a set of guidelines for search engine vendors to follow when introducing sponsored search to their sites. InterMute is alarmed by the increasing occurrence of sponsored search results that effect the relevancy of searches and that trick users to click, resulting in the generation of enormous pay-per-click revenues for search engines.

With today's search term bidding wars, web search results are in danger of becoming irrelevant. Paid search listings are routinely displayed more prominently than natural, relevant search results. In the past, search engines competed by displaying the most pertinent information the quickest. Now, however, relevance takes a back seat to paid or "sponsored" listings. For example, Google and other search engines, ironically, provide a limited, free pop-up blocker, yet at the same time they prominently display their own ads in the form of sponsored search results.

"We do not see this trend reversing itself. In fact, it is getting worse. As a provider of software that allows users to block unwanted junk on the Internet, we feel a responsibility to be proactive about these issues," said Ed English, CEO of InterMute. "We have decided to take action, and as a first step, we have outlined a set of principles we believe the search engine industry should adopt. Because we strongly believe these principles are good for the industry and users worldwide, we encourage all search engines to follow these guidelines."

InterMute's award-winning flagship product, AdSubtract, includes a SearchSanity^TM feature that can be used to block sponsored search results, if a user chooses to block ads that masquerade as legitimate search results. With this feature, web users now have the ability to filter and cleanse their searches while still using the most popular search engines.

Since 1999, AdSubtract has been a leader in the online ad blocking market. AdSubtract was reported as the best selling ad blocker sold at retail in 2003, according to NPD.

Proposed Principles

1. Relevance: We believe search engines should not give genuine, relevant results a back seat to ads, by more prominently featuring paid, sponsored results.
2. Upfront Disclosure: When a search engine is used, it should inform you of its various revenue streams and rating considerations.
3. Simple Shutoff: It should be easy for you to figure out how to disable or delete paid search listings.
4. Hypocrisy Oath: Search engines that provide tools to block some online ads, such as pop-ups, should not display their own online advertising.
5. Don't Trick To Click: Search engines shall not permit big budget advertisers, such as online auction behemoths or massive online booksellers, to be included in search result ads for any search term they wish.
6. Clear Behavior: Search engines that affect or manipulate your search results should make clear they are the reason for those changes.
7. Don't Be Evil: If a search engine collects, analyzes, sells or transmits your personal information such as your search terms, you should know.
8. Be Good And Only Play With Nice Friends: Search engine providers should not license nor allow their technology to be included on web sites that do not meet these guidelines.
9. Mold Character, Not Search Results: Getting paid to display search results, or paying money to be displayed with artificial prominence enables more irrelevant search results to pollute the purity of search.

The full set of guidelines can be reviewed at www.intermute.com/search-principles.html. Users may also download AdSubtract PRO from this site which offers the Search Sanity feature free of charge, even if users chose not to purchase the full product.

About InterMute

Founded in 1999, InterMute, Inc. is a leading provider of Internet filtering software. Based in Braintree, Massachusetts, InterMute's 'Subtract' line of products is designed to restore simplicity, productivity and privacy to the Internet.

For further information, visit www.intermute.com.