Apple seeks '.apple' domain suffix for websites

".Apple" is one of nearly 2,000 potential domain suffixes that has been proposed with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The proposed names were announced on Wednesday at a conference in London, according to the Associated Press.

There are currently about 300 domain suffixes in use, with the most common of them being ".com," ".net," and ".org." The new proposals would be the largest expansion of the online address system.

Apple is not alone in looking for a corporate brand name suffix. Sony and American Express are said to be among the other companies that want a new domain associated with their brands.

Other noteworthy domain proposals include ".android," ".amazon," ".bestbuy," ".samsung," ".aol," and ".htc." A number of applications were filed by Microsoft: ".bing," ".azure," ".docs," ".hotmail," ".live," ".microsoft," ".office," ".skydrive," ".skype," ".windows," and ".xbox."

Other proposals for Internet address endings revealed on Wednesday include ".pizza" and ".space." The names have been revealed so that members of the public can now comment and raise objections.

The first of the suffixes will take at least a year or two to gain approval by ICANN. Each proposed domain suffix cost companies and groups $185,000 per proposal.