Frank_Rizzo - 8:31 am on Apr 17, 2009 (gmt 0)

For anyone wanting to opt-out of phorm here is a real example:

techblog.wikimedia.org/2009/04/wikimedia-opting-out-of-phorm/

Yes. All of wikimedia's domains have opted out.

"Thank you for your submission to the Phorm website exclusion list. If
there are no obvious grounds to doubt the legitimacy of the request the
URL will be blocked as soon as possible, usually within 48 hours.

Requests must be made by the legitimate owner of the domain. If we have
questions regarding your domain Phorm may take a number of steps,
including attempting to contact the domain administrator by email for
confirmation of this request. If the request remains questionable and is
not confirmed within 10 days, the URL will be removed from the exclusion
list and an email will be sent informing you of this decision.

Where applicable, please ensure that the Administrative Contact details
for this domain are up to date. If you need to update them, please
resubmit your request when the amended details are visible in the WhoIs
database - (use a public whois service such as
[ godaddy ] if you are unsure it has been
updated)"

I will repeat again though that sites should NOT have to opt-out. If phorm wish to profit from our sites (by copying and processing our copyright work and then potentially steering our visitors to rival sites) then they should ask us to opt-in only.

Phorm have always said that they see your site as fair game. If you do not block googlebot in your robots file they believe they have the right to copy from your site any page one of their phorm customer reads. Only if you ask to add your site to the blacklist, or if you deny /* to googlebot will phorm not copy and process your site.