Some weeks ago, ICANN published information about a practice called "Domain Name Front Running". We covered the subject in Domaines.Info.
What is DN Front Running? Simply put, it's the notion that when a prospective domain name registrant does an availability search on a domain name without actually registering it, a third party is able to somehow intercept the search and register the name for itself.
This has been the naming industry's Loch Ness monster for years. An urban legend that no-one's actually ever been able to prove.