Imagine reaching the Apple store at a ".apple" or ".mac" Web address, or finding auctions on ".ebay." That's exactly what could happen if the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit organization that oversees the Internet's top-level domains, opens up registration of a generic top-level domain to anyone who can afford it.

For the last few years, businesses, organizations, and the general public have been paying a few dollars per year for a domain name under one of the more popular web suffixes including .com, .net, and .org. But if ICANN votes in favor of a new policy, those who can afford to pay between $30,000 and $50,000 for a top-level domain will be able to register their own dot suffix.

Of course, ICANN is setting up guidelines, and it plans to review applications to prevent abuses like trademark infringement-which is why the organization may also require a business plan in addition to the hefty fee.

ICANN is also considering adding ".love," ".hate," and ".(insert city here)" to the 20 generic top-level domains available today. The organization may even introduce domains in different character sets for Arabic or Chinese Web addresses.

It's estimated that only 17 percent of the original 4 billion domain addresses remain, and they will be depleted in the next five years. Opening registration of top level domains is a real possibility and a huge change that may happen as soon as next year.