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The Cupertino, Calif.-based company sought a block on Motorola's Droid and Droid X phones, claiming the devices infringed on its patents. The lawsuit came after Motorola sued Apple in late 2010, alleging Apple's iPhone, iPad, iTouch and some Macintosh computers violate its patents.

The ITC judge's ruling will be reviewed by the entire commission, which typically backs its judge's initial rulings. Many technology companies file claims through the commission, rather than in courts, because the ITC can ban imports if it finds companies infringe upon intellectual property.

Tech companies also favor the ITC because rulings are often returned quickly, which helps avoid long, costly legal proceedings.

Apple's battles against Android phones are spreading worldwide, most notoriously against Samsung's Galaxy line. Many industry insiders see the lawsuits as part of a larger battle for supremacy between Apple's iOS and Google's Android.

The Motorola cases hit especially close to home for Android owner Google, which is completing its $12.5 billion Motorola buyout.

The judge's ruling, combined with the buyout, are likely to give Google's open-source OS more momentum as the lawsuits continue. Google will gain Motorola Mobility's impressive patent portfolio when it completes the buyout, giving it more ammunition against Apple, which is expected to continue its suits against Android phones as the new year unfolds.

However, Apple is not the only company on the offensive. Even before Google announced its buyout plans, Motorola accused Apple's European sales division of infringing one of its patents related to data packet transfer technology, and in December, the Mannheim Regional Court in Germany ruled an injunction is "preliminarily enforceable" against Apple Sales International, Apple's EU wholesale subsidiary based in Ireland.

The ban covers a wide variety of products, including all iPhones except for the 4S -- which was not released in April when Motorola filed its original suit -- and 3G-enabled iPads.The ruling concerns a patent for "performing countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system."

While the battles between Apple and Samsung have gotten the most publicity in the past year, the more heated fights may come this year between Apple and Google, as Google uses Motorola's patents --which are already proving strong in cases against Apple -- to wage a direct fight against its nearest OS competitor.