Eastman Kodak Co. announced Thursday that it has filed lawsuits against Apple and Blackberry maker Research In Motion alleging they infringed Kodak digital imaging technology.

The photography company said it had filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission claiming that camera-enabled iPhones and Blackberrys infringe a Kodak patent related to an image previewing method.

Kodak said it had separately filed two suits against Apple in US District Court in New York claiming infringement of patents related to digital cameras and certain computer processes.

"Kodak has a long history of digital imaging innovation and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating our industry-leading patent portfolio," said the company's chief intellectual property officer Laura Quatela.

"In the case of Apple and RIM, we've had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement," she added in a statement.

"There's a basic issue of fairness that needs to be addressed. Those devices use Kodak technology, and we are merely seeking compensation for the use of our technology in their products."

Quatela said Kodak decided to take the issue to the courts in order to protect shareholder interest and licensees of the technology. Kodak said it has licensed digital imaging technology to some 30 companies, including LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

"Our primary interest is not to disrupt the availability of any product but to obtain fair compensation for the use of our technology," Quatela said.