Samsung offers a tribute to Steve Jobs

Despite the lawsuits that have developed into full-blown rancor lately, Samsung took time to offer a brief bit of condolence to Steve Jobs, the founder of Samsung's biggest rival and biggest client.

From the Los Angeles Times:

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.

I hope these two frenemies can get their act together. Maybe this can be the olive branch they need.

In the end, I don't see this ongoing lawsuit crap ending well for either of them. It's not good for Apple sales (in addition to Steve Jobs's increasingly deteriorating health since he stepped down as CEO, I believe the legal entanglements may have forced Apple to hold back a bit on its recent iPhone release) and therefore it's not good for the major supplier of Apple's innards.

UPDATE:
The Wall Street Journal reports on a number of others in Korea offering kind words in honor of Mr Jobs.

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