Got “Google” In Your URL? Sorry, No AdSense For You

AdSense Disallowed On URLs Containing “Google”, Google Says from Google Blogoscoped shows an almost comical AdSense ban of a portion of his site. Reportedly, Google has disallowed him from displaying Google AdSense ads on the Chinese version of his site because it is located at https://google.blogoscoped.cn/.

Google sent him the following explanation:

Publishers are not permitted to make prominent use of “Google Brand Features” on sites showing Google ads. Google Brand Features include Google logos, product screenshots, or other distinctive features. Additionally, publishers may not place Google ads on sites incorporating Google trademarks in the site URL or on sites that frame Google pages, including search results pages. Which means in your case that the word “google” in the URL is not okay for showing ads, hence we had to deactivate serving to the site.

I have a feeling that this may be reversed and that this ban came from a typical AdSense support representative who is not a lawyer.