U.S. Judge Refuses to Block Ad Firm WhenU

A federal judge declined to block a purveyor of computer “pop-up” ads, saying they were unlikely to confuse Internet users.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds in Michigan is the second court victory for advertising firm WhenU.com Inc., which has drawn lawsuits from some online vendors who don’t want Web visitors to see rivals’ pop-up ads.

Wells Fargo & Co. and Quicken Loans Inc. have sued WhenU, arguing that the company should not be allowed to send ads to Web visitors because the ads obscure their sites and violate their trademarks.