Samsung honors Steve Jobs amid ongoing Apple patent battle

Samsung Electronics issued a statement honoring Steve Jobs, the co-founder, former chief executive and chairman of Apple Inc.

The short statement paying tribute to Jobs followed similar actions from other part-time rivals and part-time business partners of Apple such as Adobe, Google and Microsoft.

In Samsung's brief statement, which was widely reported Thursday, company CEO Choi Gee-sung said, "Steve Jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur. His innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world."

For months, Apple and Samsung have been in an international patent battle: Suits and countersuits have been filed across Europe and in the U.S., Japan and Australia.

On Wednesday, before the news of Jobs' death, Samsung said it planned to file paperwork with courts in France and Italy to request a preliminary sales ban on Apple's iPhone 4S in those countries.

On Tuesday, Apple rejected an offer from Samsung to end its patent suits in Australia -- a step that could have possibly moved the two companies toward reconciliation in other countries as well.

In Australia, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet is under a temporary sales freeze. Samsung's Galaxy S, Galaxy S II and Ace smartphones are under a similar preliminary sales injunction in 30 European countries, as are the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 7.7 in Germany. The reason behind all the injunctions is the patent suits between the two tech giants in those respective nations.

But the two firms have a different kind of relationship as well: Samsung is one of Apple's suppliers for key parts found in the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and iPod Touch.