A Massachusetts company could be awarded $6.3m in damages following claims that stolen rare film footage of John Lennon was sold to Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, without the firm's permission.

The unique 1970 film is estimated to be worth $4-6m according to a memorabilia expert consulted by World Wide Video, the plaintiff.

World Wide Video is suing Ono and broker Anthony Pagola for copyright infringement. Pagola sold Ono the footage for $300,000 in 2002.

A judge earlier this year found Ono to be the rightful copyright owner of the footage. It features the ex-Beatle smoking marijuana and joking about putting LSD in the tea of then-US president Richard Nixon.

The judge has not yet ruled if World Wide Video will be awarded the damages.