SuccessFactors has concluded litigation against Softscape Inc and will receive an undisclosed sum in settlement.

The legal dispute began in March when SuccessFactors learned that someone using the name “John Anonymous” had distributed a PowerPoint presentation entitled “The Naked Truth” to hundreds of people in the industry. The presentation was e-mailed to SuccessFactors’ customers and prospects, as well as industry analysts and the sales groups of SuccessFactors’ direct competitors. It was accompanied by a cover e-mail warning recipients: “If you are thinking about purchasing from SuccessFactors, please read the following document; it provides information about SuccessFactors which they do not want you to know.”

But Softscape has admitted that it created “The Naked Truth” itself. "Softscape further acknowledges that the presentation contained inaccurate information about SuccessFactors and that Softscape was responsible for distributing the presentation 'anonymously' over the Internet. In admitting responsibility, Softscape also agreed to pay SuccessFactors an undisclosed amount in settlement and dismiss with prejudice all counterclaims against SuccessFactors," the company said in a statement.

SuccessFactors had filed suit against Softscape in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleging false advertising, trademark infringement, computer fraud and abuse, defamation, trade libel, intentional interference with prospective economic relations and unfair competition.