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A version of Rapportive is featured (free) in the Google marketplace. See http://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/.

If that doesn't settle the fairness aspect for you, take a look at http://code.google.com/apis/gmail/gadgets/contextual/ - improving Gmail is something Google is interested in.

Wrong, the apps version looks totally different. Check the screenies:

Rapportive is at the bottom of the screen, not at the side replacing ads.

So no blessing by Google.

Good point, I didn't see that. I have to believe, though, that this suggests Google views Rapportive favorably in general.

So has this strategy of ad replacement been officially blessed by Google?