Camera maker Eastman Kodak Co. has said it will sue Apple Inc. and Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of the iPhone and Blackberry, for patent infringement.

Kodak has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC). The company alleges the iPhone and Blackberry use technology for previewing pictures that infringe Kodak patents and should be paid royalties.

In two separate actions at the U.S. Circuit Court in New York, Kodak sued Apple for other uncompensated uses of the company's technology.

In the case of Apple and RIM, we've had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve the issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement, Kodak vice president and chief intellectual property officer Laura Quatela said Thursday in a statement.

The patent for Kodak's picture previewing technology has already been the subject of one dispute.

On December 17 last year, an ITC judge ruled that camera-enabled phones manufactured by Samsung infringed on a patent held exclusively by Kodak.

Meanwhile, Apple is already in the middle of another legal dispute. In October, Nokia alleged that the iPhone infringed 10 of its fundamental patents relating to wireless technologies.

Apple countered with its own lawsuit in December, accusing Nokia of copying its technology.

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