One school of thought would say:
They lost it, finders keepers, and they should have taken better care to make sure they didn't drop their domain. That school of thought has some support.
http://www.adrforum.com/domains/decisions/96320.htm (However, this case had Cabell on the panel, and I find her to be very un-principled).
The other school of thought is that it isn't abandoned property if the owner didn't intend to abandon it. That has some support too.
"
While âfinders, keepers-losers, weepersâ is a quaint and classic saying it is also an oversimplification of the underlying law. Actually the finder takes as to all the world except the true owner, or the prior peaceable possessor. http://www.adrforum.com/domains/decisions/1124467.htm. However, this decision was by a single-member panel.
So, it seems that on the UDRP front, the authority is split. Thus, you don't have UDRP guidance.
If you think they may have dropped it by accident -- what do you think is the
right thing to do?