Kodak filed a complaint with the ITC in January last year, accusing Apple and RIM of infringing patents related to digital camera technology, and had been seeking a limited exclusion order preventing importation of devices including iPhones and camera-enabled Blackberrys.

The Kodak patent in question relates to a method of previewing images and Kodak has licensed it - amongst other imaging patents - to technology companies including LG, Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Olympus, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony and Sony Ericsson.

Laura Quatela, general counsel, chief intellectual property officer and senior vice president at Eastman Kodak, said: "The [judge's] recommendation represents a preliminary step in a process that we are extremely confident will conclude in Kodak's favour.

"This very same Kodak patent was upheld by a different judge at the ITC in our case against LG and Samsung, whose products use the very same Kodak technology to function in the very same manner as similar products from Apple and RIM."