Hi all, I have a community with download manager and for the free members the download manager provide a Progressing message something like popup but no new in a window. The message is vbulletin message and is providing in the same page without any redirection. In this message the member can read about the steps and download status and i provide 2 ads. 1 Ad is from google and the other is from my forum. Adove of the ads i explain with words which ad is from google and which is from the forum like "Ads by Google" and "Ads by forum:" (see the screen shot) The steps who the member read in the message are 3. 1.Your files are submitted for download. 2.Processing your files. Wait until finished and this message will leave by itself or click on advertising "forum" and then go back a page to download. 3.Click the "Download manager / file status" to download your files. In the adove message in the step 2 i tell to my member to click the "forum" ad because is my ad and i do do what i want with that. No where i say click to the Google ads but only click to my "forum" ads. The google want that the user if clicks in a google ad then that must be happend only if the member is free to click and interested by itself to click on the ad because this is the succes full click on the ad and i think i do that. My site have not illegal content and is discuss board. What do you thing.Is that against the Adsense TOS? Thank you.
This is interesting to read, as I just found a site doing something similar the other day. It was a site that has streaming movies, and the Adsense unit covered half the screen until one clicked on the pop-up box to remove it. I do believe the TOS are specific regarding ad units within pop-ups. I wouldn't push the matter if I were you.
Tough call on this one. It may violate content terms (there is little there), popup guidelines...any number of infractions. I would refer to the Adsense help forum, and contact them to be certain. https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=48182