How do you decide what's a "premium" domain?

[akirk]

very interesting - but it will depend on:
a) if the domain owner has used the domain at all - makes sense to do so, and not difficult...
b) if the domain is trademarkable - many good domains are not because they are common words - e.g. bridge.com - might be trademarkable in some obtuse categories - but has many common meanings - so difficult to TM, however made up words / conjoining of two common words to create a made up phrase will be much easier...

Alasdair

[crabfoot]

very interesting - but it will depend on: ... if the domain is trademarkable - many good domains are not because they are common words - e.g. bridge.com - might be trademarkable in some obtuse categories - but has many common meanings - so difficult to TM

I've said this before - you can trademark a unique LOGO, which may incorporate text. After that logo has been accepted, you can object to instances regarding the infringement of the text which forms part of your TradeMarked logo - which might just be a domain name, or a slogan containing a domain name.
DIFFICULT? Only if you think in straight lines - now, back to premium domains?

[akirk]

you can trademark all sorts of things - but that doesn't necessarily make another use of the TM term illegal / infringing - if that other use is valid...

Alasdair

[crabfoot]

you can trademark all sorts of things - but that doesn't necessarily make another use of the TM term illegal / infringing - if that other use is valid...

Alasdair

That's the law. What matters here are the ICANN rules, which are heavily biased towards TM holders, and allow very little legal redress for people affected by their decisions.