I actually wouldn't see them as a scalper. I don't think it's just an equivalence. I've always been fine when looking around for a domain and one is taken but it's being used productively. The thing that feels annoying is finding a domain where the only thing it's being used for is as an advertisement for itself. It feels kinda like coming across a billboard that says "advertise here!".

The economist in me had to struggle to remember that if the prices are smart, it will lead to allocative efficiency. But it still feels a little ugly.