It appears that the four and a half year drama between Two Plus Two Publishing and Russell “Dutch” Boyd may finally be at an end. Last week, Boyd sent a letter of apology for the whole saga to Mason Malmuth, owner of Two Plus Two; Malmuth published the letter on Two Plus Two’s ever-popular poker forum on Tuesday.
To quickly recap, in early 2009, Jacknames.com, which was owned by Boyd, registered the domain name twoplustwopoker.com. Two Plus Two sued Boyd late that year for cybersquatting and trademark infringement, among other things. Boyd eventually admitted to owning the site, which contained affiliate links to online gaming sites, and said it barely made any money.
In March 2012, a court ruled in favor of Two Plus Two, awarding the company nearly $60,000; $25,000 from a statutory judgment and $33,985 in attorney’s fees. Boyd appealed, but an appellate court reaffirmed the ruling in May 2014.
In the letter, Boyd apologized for cybersquatting in the first place, saying, “…it was improper for me to register the www.twoplustwopoker.com domain name, which belongs to your company. It was wrong to try to profit by using your trademark on a hosting site, and to later make the domain available for sale.”
He also apologized for his behavior as the legal battle played out, writing, in part, “Neither I nor anyone else should have insulted you personally about this matter. I now realize that this case was simply about protecting the Two Plus Two brand and trademark, which is extremely valuable to the company and to you.”
In the Two Plus Two thread, Mason Malmuth addressed whether or not he would leave things here, saying, “We’ll see what happens. Specifically this means that the apology is conditionally accepted, but we’ll watch and see how Boyd behaves in the future and that will determine our final position.”
He also added that Boyd did pay the $60,000 judgment.
Below is the entire apology letter from Dutch Boyd.
Dear Mason:
I’m writing to apologize, both to Two Plus Two and to you personally, for my actions leading to your company’s lawsuit against me.
Although I was initially defensive and angry, I’ve come to realize that my actions were wrong and unjustified. Regardless of my motives, it was improper for me to register the www.twoplustwopoker.com domain name, which belongs to your company. It was wrong to try to profit by using your trademark on a hosting site, and to later make the domain available for sale. It was also wrong for me to challenge the merits of the lawsuit, or to tell the public that you had “no reason to sue me” after you obtained the
domain. I realize now that it makes no difference how much money I might have made from this domain, or when you ultimately obtained it: cybersquatting is stealing, and the act of registration itself led to a legitimate lawsuit against me.
My anger and frustration led to some negative and disparaging comments about you and Two Plus Two during and after the case, for which I also apologize. Contrary to what I may have said (or encouraged others to say), I don’t believe you are a “bully,” and I don’t believe this case was simply about a “money grab.” Neither I nor anyone else should have insulted you personally about this matter. I now realize that this case was simply about protecting the Two Plus Two brand and trademark, which is extremely
valuable to the company and to you.
Put simply, I am sorry for my actions, and I have learned a lesson. I will not register any Two Plus Two related domain names or take any harmful action against Two Plus Two in the future. I will also not insult or disparage you or your company in the future. I hope that we can put this entire matter behind us and remain cordial to each other moving forward.
Sincerely,
Russell “Dutch” Boyd