Sorrell

WPP head Martin Sorrell has settled the case against two former employees he alleged were behind an anonymous blog containing libelous comments about him both personally and professionally, reports AdWeek.
The defendants, two former WPP Group employees, agreed to pay somewhere around $300,000 but did not admit to being the authors of the blog. Nor did the defendants, former WPP Italy chief Marco Benatti and Marco Tinelli, admit to being the source of a picture emailed around WPP of Sorrell and Daniela Weber, WPP Italy COO, with whom Sorrell had a personal relationship.

Both sides claimed the settlement was a victory, with Sorrell announcing the damages awarded speak to the defendants' guilt and Benatti and Tinelli saying Sorrell had "fled the battlefield."

The settlement amount includes $59,000 and $39,000 to Weber and Sorrell, respectively, for dissemination of the email. The rest, $197,000 was awarded to Sorrell for the blog postings.