The probe centres on the issue of parallel importing where CDs not destined for sale in the UK are sold to British consumers. The record industry says this practice could breach copyright laws.
The probe only concerns the and does not, according to a report in the Financial Times, concern the UK site .
The move is the latest effort by the music industry to crack down on consumers snapping up cheap CDs from outside of the EU, where prices are much higher than the US or Asia.
Record companies, unlike games and DVD makers, do have the luxury of CDs being coded to play in specific regions of the globe. Games consoles and DVD players, unlike the older music CD technology, are made to play in one of three regions, meaning that unmodified DVDs bought from Amazon.com will not play on UK DVD players.
The launch of the probe into Amazon.com comes as the the British Phonographic Industry also fights actions against Jersey-based and the Hong Kong-based website .
Unlike Amazon.com, CD Wow actively targets UK consumers, making the case against it stronger than the one against Amazon. The case against CD Wow is due to be heard in the High Court next month.
A spokesman for Amazon said: "We are not aware of any action the BPI may or may not be taking. We clearly respect copyright laws in all the countries we operate in."
The cases mirror the fights in other areas of retail where companies are importing cheaper products from outside of the EU.
The most high-profile of these cases is one involving Tesco and Levi Strauss. Tesco conceded defeat in its battle to sell cheap Levi's jeans following a High Court ruling in July 2002.
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