A WebmasterWorld thread asks a question that is so obvious and basic that I’ve never thought of it or even seen it asked before in the forums. The question is, can Google AdSense publishers also sell ads directly to advertisers who contact them?

Like we do on this site, we have ad relationships with advertisers directly and also have some AdSense spots on the site. This is incredibly common, most big web sites have direct ads and supplement the open slots with house ads or AdSense ads. So why would it be an issue?

Well, as pointed to in the thread, the terms of service for AdSense state:

I am not a lawyer but it seems all your ad deals, if you have any AdSense ads on your site, must go through Google?

One senior member said if it was him doing direct ads, he would first contact Google to see if it is okay. He said:

I assume 99% of you who sell ads would never contact Google about selling direct ads on your site.

Am I reading the legalize right or is this an non issue?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.