Chrome extension removed/rejected with vague message

[daniel dev]

Can someone help me to understand the rejection message for my simple extension (see below and attached)?  The extension ID is "pebnfdfoickfleegcnjefombjnnncp".
Thanks very much,
Daniel

----------------------
Dear Developer,

Your Google Chrome item, "AdLiPo," with ID: pebnfdfoickfleegcnjefombjnnncp

on did not comply with our program policies and was removed from the Google Chrome Web Store.

Your item did not comply with the following section of our policy:

Don't pretend to be someone else, and don't represent that your app is authorized by or produced by another company or organization if that is not the case. Products or the ads they contain also must not mimic functionality or warnings from a user's operating system or browser. Developers should not divert users or provide links to any other site that mimics Chrome Web Store or passes itself off as Chrome Web Store.

If you'd like to re-submit your item, please make the appropriate changes to the item so that it complies with our policies, then re-publish it in your developer dashboard. Please reply to this email for issues regarding this item removal.

*Please keep in mind that your re-submitted item will not be immediately published live in the store. All re-submitted items undergo a strict compliance review and will be re-published if the item passes review.

*Important Note
Repeated or egregious violations in the store may result in your developer account being banned from the store. This may also result in the suspension of related Google services associated with your Google account. All re-submitted items will continue to be subject to Chrome Web Store policies and terms of service.

Thank you for your cooperation,
Google Chrome Web Store team

---------------------------
Developer Terms of Service:
https://developers.google.com/chrome/web-store/terms

Program Policies:
https://developers.google.com/chrome/web-store/program_policies

Branding Guidelines:
https://developers.google.com/chrome/web-store/branding

[Daniel F]

Could you upload screenshots of your extension in action? Or tell us more about what it does?

Thank you,

Daniel

[daniel dev]

What it does is quite simple -- it replaces ads with short, algorithmically-generated poems.

[Daniel F]

Does it look like the text is an ad? Could it look like Google Ad's gave the poem? 

This suspension makes no sense to me. 

Could you give us a crx? I think that there must be something that is being missed.

[daniel dev]

No, the poems have their own formatting and color scheme. It is clearly not a Google Ad. Here is a link to the crx: http://rednoise.org/adlipo/adlipo.crx
thanks

[Daniel F]

That's a cool idea.

All I can think of so far is that you aren't properly attributing adblock. However, I don't know enough about the GPLv3 to be sure about this.

[daniel dev]

Well, Adblock is attributed on the website (http://rednoise.org/adlipo/), but this is not required as part of the GPL. Any idea how to get clarification from Google/CWS?

[MSI Team]

Can you still view your extension in the Chrome Web Store? If yes, that email message is phishing. If no, your extension somehow violates the Terms of Service. You can reply to the email message to ask for details and reasons.

[Daniel F]

A search for "rednoise" or "adlipo" comes up blank in the chrome web store.

[David]

>> Well, Adblock is attributed on the website (http://rednoise.org/adlipo/), but this is not required as part of the GPL. Any idea how to get clarification from Google/CWS?

Just a thought, perhaps Google/CWS wants the attribution to be more prominent than your note at the bottom on the website? And this may be attribution to satisfy Google/CWS and not just the GPL.

Since we can't see your submitted listing on CWS, another question is do you state the same attribution in your CWS listing that was submitted?

 

[daniel dev]

It was removed from the Chrome Web Store. And yes, I replied to that message immediately, but no response.

[daniel dev]

Is there really no way to get clarification on a removal? Are developers just supposed to guess as to what the problem *might* be?
This seems rather poor treatment of developers by Google (especially after accepting a $$ fee), though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised...

[Daniel F]

Please don't turn this into an anti-google rant. I don't want to hear it.

[Daniel F]

Instead, try resubmitting with a design that makes it clear which parts are replaced ads. I was confused and wondered what that box was, and I think that Google was against you creating something which injects potentially offensive text into a website in a way that could make it look like the website endorses the text.

[David]

Just a side note FYI to OP. You might also try submitting your extension to Opera add ons first, then CWS. Opera based on Chromium, takes the same extension types with pretty much little to no change. What is good is that Opera submission process, so far in my experience, is stricter than CWS and they have a more hands on & collaborative approach with the developer. The bad trade off is it takes longer to get submission approved if you just want to release it quick, since you may need several iterations of fixes before Opera approves the submission. I'm not advocating Opera, but this is just an option if CWS is vague with their rejection of your submissions.