The French parliament has backed plans to give consumers more choice over music downloads from the internet.

MPs backed a draft law to force Apple, Sony and Microsoft to share their proprietary copy-protection systems by 296 to 193 votes.

The aim is to ensure that digital music can be played on any player, regardless of its format or source.

The bill will now go before Frances upper house, the Senate, in the coming weeks for approval before becoming law.

Currently most online stores lock consumers into their own downloading systems and players, such as with Apples iTunes and its iPod.

The French bill says that proprietary copy-protection technologies must not block interoperability between different systems.