Samsung counter-sues Apple as row deepens

Samsung Electronics Company's counter-lawsuit, its first against its biggest client, comes days before it launches a new product.

The move could jeopardise business ties between the two companies, as Apple relies on Samsung for component supplies such as chips and LCD displays.

Apple's chief executive officer Steve Jobs said last month Samsung was among the tablet makers angling to make 2011 the "Year of Copycats".

The US company filed a lawsuit last Friday claiming Samsung had violated patents and trademarks of its iPhone and iPad.

The 16 claims brought against the Korean tech giant include unjust enrichment, trademark infringement and 10 patent claims.

"Samsung is responding actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business," the Korean company said in the statement.

James Song, an analyst at Daewoo Securities, said: "It's quite threatening to see how quickly Samsung plays catch-up.

"Apple is quite annoyed by Samsung's fast rise in a market which it virtually created.

"It (Apple) might have felt a strong urge to put a brake on its march just when Samsung is set to roll out a new smartphone in May ahead of its new iPhone," Song added.

The rivals are competing to dominate the global smartphone market which is expected to grow by 58% this year.

This is not the first time tech brands have disagreed over smartphone and tablet designs.

The booming tablet market is set to quadruple to 70 million units in 2011.

To better compete with Apple's iPad2, Samsung redesigned its new 10.1 inch tablet in February, to make it the thinnest in the category.

In March, Nokia sued Apple for patent infringement and at the same time Apple sued HTC for the same reason.

In October 2010, Apple sued Motorola, claiming its smartphones use Apple's intellectual property.