"* Modern Family dedicated an entire episode to a character's quest for an iPad.

• Although all parties concerned swear no money or product changed hands over the placement."

If no money changed hands, then this isn't product placement. No one at Apple placed the product in their show. It's just them including something timely into the plot of a episode.

How should Product placement be treated? there are at least two categories i can see: Blatant Product Placement to actually advertise the products, and one where they are placed in the scenery, but not neccesarily commented upon. My qualm is this: Harry Potter films have several proucts placed in the background, some of them quite distinguishable. For example, in the chamber of secrets one can see the Chronicles of Narnia piled quite high in a bookshop, in the third film people are shown reading a brief history of time, by Stephen Hawking. Then there is the 5th film with breakfast cereals in the great hall, with packaging and all. Is it product Placement or not?

Dave Mirra BMX 2 featured the Slim Jim Guy as a rider, no joke. There are also Slim Jim billboards.

Fox branded trucks are in one level, but it IS a bike game.

Wasn't there a kind-of subtrope about this with Apple Macintosh? Every Computer is a Mac, or something like that. I can't find it.

The meaning of the folders is not clear. Does each one indicate a type of product or a type of media where publicity is found?

The newest remake of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" has a soundtrack co-written by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. In the film, a minor supporting character is seen wearing a NIN t-shirt. Does this come under this article? Could be a coincidence though