Photography pioneer Eastman Kodak has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that it wrongly claims to own 10 patents arising from work that the companies did together in the early 1990s, reports Reuters.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday in US bankruptcy court in Manhattan, Kodak sought court’s directives to stop Apple, the largest US company by market value,  from interfering with plans to sell a large patent portfolio, a significant part of its bankruptcy restructuring. 

Privately held FlashPoint Technology Inc also claims ownership through an assignment from Apple, which spun it off in 1996, and is also a defendant, Kodak said. 

The patents include technology that helps camera owners preview photographs on LCD screens. 

They are part of Kodak''s digital-capture portfolio, which the company said includes more than 700 patents for devices such as digital cameras, smartphones and tablets, and has generated more than $3 billion in revenues since 2001. 

Kodak said Apple is the largest infringer of patents in that portfolio, and also a potential purchaser of those patents. 

"Apple's strategy has been to use its substantial cash position to delay as long as possible the payment of royalties to Kodak" and interfere with the sale, Kodak said. 

"Apple and FlashPoint are seeking to benefit from Kodak's difficult financial position, which will be exacerbated if the debtors cannot obtain fair value for the patents." 

Lawyers for Apple and FlashPoint did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. 

In a June 1 court filing, Apple said the dispute involves "an array of complex non-bankruptcy issues" that should be addressed in federal district court rather than bankruptcy court, and that Kodak was seeking an unfair "rush to judgment."