Amazon's bid to register its name as a key domain name in a massive overhaul of internet addresses has been been hit by a major snag. The Brazilian government, arguably the real owner of the 'Amazon', doesn't like the idea.
A successful attempt would mean Amazon would be able to use its name in place of .com and .co.uk at the end of domain names. It has applied to register the name, alongside scores of others, as a so-called Generic Top Level Domain that would mean it would rank alongside 22 existing categories (.com, .gov etc) and 250 country categories.
That would mean it could use .amazon and others such as .shop, .song, .book and .kindle. But the Brazilian government is, perhaps understandably, appealing the attempt and has asked for Amazon to withdraw the registration.
Each domain application costs around $185,000 and must be made to The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), a not-for-profit organisation organisation based in the US which plays a key role in governance of the internet.
Both Brazil and Peru say a private company should not be given the right to assign a name that relates to such an important geographic area. Brazil says it has the support of other members of the Amazon Co-operation treaty which include Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
'Allowing private companies to register geographic names as gTLDs to reinforce their brand strategy or to profit from the meaning of these names does not serve, in our view, the public interest,' the Brazilian government said in a statement.
Amazon's rival in the US Barnes & Noble has objected to Amazon's applications for .book and .author - although not .amazon.
Icann appears to have acknowledged the complications that have arisen in its plan to widen the use of domain names. It has put the approval of disputed names on hold and also suggested that the holders of new names will be placed under greater restrictions that existing ones.
Meanwhile, Argentina has lobbied against US outdoor retailer Patagonia's application for its name as a gTLD and China has complained over hotel chain Shangrila's application.
However, The Guardian newspaper has pointed out that Shangri-la in Yunnan province was only named so in 2001 which was well after the establishment of the hotel chain.
The first approved names should be in use by the end of the year. Disputed names will be further debated by Icann in July.
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