From what I understand, premium domains are domain names that have already been registered and are being sold at a "premium price." The only way around it is to pay the price of the domain.
So... as we already know, there can only be one of any domain name that is registered, we also know that there are "drop catching services" or back orders, that customers can put on domains to pick them up as soon as they are available to the general public. services like that can be used for good just as well as they can be used for bad. I used to work as a universal support agent for network solutions, and i have heard stories like this more times than not... unfortunately the only opportunity that exists in the situation at hand is to add it to your watch list and catch that baby as soon as it drops! Just be patient, and remember good things come to those who wait.
I believe you are right and thanks, my-domain-labs. I'd started a project -- 40 years ago - and my attorney at the time said I didn't need to trademark or copyright because the name was in the Public. The old events re-surfaced a few years ago, again my old project's name was in the news and I went to get a domain and some guy'd just bought it and was charging $6000 for the .COM. "I had no Trademark" he told me! So I quickly bought the .NET and .ORG to lock him in, but I spent a year cajoling and making offers in the hundreds, not thousands. Finally a year later, since no one was going for his prices, (and any search on the name brought up my personal name) he relented and sold it to me for the few hundred I originally offered. During that time, a word to the wise, I used Legal Zoom to get a Trademark, too (10% cheaper than a normal attorney). Now it is all mine www,sciencefictionland.com.
I use a service similar to legal zoom myself that allows me to do trademarks and various other internet asset coverings, however essentially you are correct, and from my experience as web.com UNN Specialist, I could only refer the trademark holders to our legal or abuse departments based on the request. i never knew what came after, but I can say once Domain Labs is fully up and running i know, that personally if i had someone "mocking" another company - if i was going to get any kind of "backwind" i would simplyn just suspend them...
but unfortunately there are poeple out there that do this kind of stuff... personally yesterday i just aquired 2 more domains that Sedo estimates a value of $9,000 on and i still need the .com before i can go full scale.
so i certainly feel the pain of wanting a registered name myself.
Please tell me more about your "Domain Labs" -- seems we have a lot to talk about -- and certainly some possible business. My annual "membership" in Legal Zoom services are coming up at the end of the next month and I would enjoy seeing what else is out there -- or in addition to -- as the case may be. It sounds to me you have a special integrity about these matters & I never thought of complaining to InterNIC. I am very interested in what you are up to.
BarryG
My client dropped his domain name last year. Now it's "Premium" at 100x price.