SuccessFactors was contacted in July 2010 by a woman claiming to be Anna Rodriguez, the human resources director for Magnus Group, it states. The Magnus Group website described it as a consulting firm offering business process management and other services, according to SuccessFactors. The site was not accessible on Friday.

Communications continued between Rodriguez and a SuccessFactors sales staffer, ultimately leading to a roughly three-hour-long Web meeting between the salesperson, Rodriguez and another purported Magnus Group employee named "Judy," the complaint states.

More meetings were held at Rodriguez's request, during which she obtained "non-public information about pricing" as well as details on SuccessFactors' implementation processes and track records, it adds.

In September, Rodriguez was given pricing information about SuccessFactors' Cubetree software, which it had just acquired. The data was accompanied by a warning stating that the information was confidential and proprietary and not to be shared with third parties without permission, according to the complaint.

Days later, Rodriguez e-mailed the sales manager and told him Magnus Group was no longer interested in purchasing the software, "based on her understanding that SuccessFactors does not offer an integrated payroll and benefits system, which in fact SuccessFactors does offer," the complaint states.