Jeff Bliss

The U.S. Justice Department is making preliminary inquiries into Apple Inc.’s business practices regarding its iTunes digital music service, two people familiar with the matter said.

The antitrust division’s questioning of music industry officials and Internet companies is in the early stages, and the department hasn’t found that Apple has done anything wrong, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Apple offers more than 11 million songs through the iTunes store, which it opened in April 2003. ITunes now operates in 23 countries. The Cupertino, California-based company says it is the world’s largest music retailer, with 8.5 billion songs sold.

The inquiry initially was reported by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling declined to comment. Gina Talamona, a Justice Department spokeswoman, couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.

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