Questionable Description Next to Adsense Ads

[FTFlash]

I was browsing movie descriptions on a really authoritive website (It's 3rd on Google for the search term "movies"), when I noticed some Adsense ads at the bottom of the page.

These ads have a little "what's this?" link in the corner. When this link is clicked a box pops up that says:

Sponsored Links are contextually relevant advertisements that we provide to you. We receive Sponsored Links from Google's AdWords service, and generate revenue from your clicks. The selection of Sponsored Links that are displayed are customize to what we think may interest you. Sponsored Links are always clearly labeled.

Generating additional revenue from Sponsored Links allows us to offer new features to you. Thanks for your support!

This is clearly encouraging users to click the ads. If I was an AdWords advertiser, I'd be really upset.

Do premium publishers get the special privilige of being allowed to encourage their users to click AdSense ads?

[elsewhen]

Do premium publishers get the special privilige of being allowed to encourage their users to click AdSense ads?

i am not sure if that is an enumerated right, but premium publishers do get lots of special privileges.

[cerebrum]

Pass on your complaint to Google and they will take care.

[jchampliaud]

Generating additional revenue from Sponsored Links allows us to offer new features to you. Thanks for your support!

This might be okay because it's not near the AdSense ads, as I understand the placement. But it does seem to be borderline.

[ann]

Borderline?

It is an outright violation!

[alika]

it's not near the AdSense ads

Hmmm ... I am not sure how you define "not near" when the "What's This?" is placed right on the ad box itself which is opposite of Sponsored Links. But note though that this site is one of the most authoritative site in its niche, and is definitely a premium publisher. Premium publisher enjoys a lot of perks that we mere mortals can only hope for.

If not for anything, this thread is not a showcase of a violation, but rather an aspirational goal for us to become premium publishers to be allowed to put those things in our ad boxes. In fact, this is pretty common among the big boys. WashingtonPost.com also has this "what's this" with an explanation that the sponsored links they see are ads (through Washpost has shifted from Google to showing Overture ads).

[jchampliaud]

it's not near the AdSense ads

Hmmm ... I am not sure how you define "not near" when the "What's This?" is placed right on the ad box itself which is opposite of Sponsored Links.

I meant that the “Generating additional revenue from Sponsored Links allows us to offer new features to you. Thanks for your support!” was not near the ads as I understand the placement.

Borderline?

It is an outright violation!

Is it? I’m not saying it’s not but where in the premium publishers TOS (if the premium publishers have one that is different) does it say this can’t be done? I know that for us mere mortals we can’t have pages that say “support us”.