Apple, Foursquare Deal In the Works, Samsung Request Denied

Apple has been working hard to improve its Maps app. It is no secret that Apple executives are not exactly happy with Google Maps getting all the love it is getting from iOS users. The company is working on a plan to take its maps to the next level. A deal with Foursquare over local data integration is in the works. As the Wall Street Journal has reported, the talks involved Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue.

Foursquare has a ton of data on local businesses. It has been collecting data on the popularity of those businesses too. The deal is a win-win for both sides. Foursquare is an exciting service but its growth has slowed down thanks to Facebook and other big players getting in this business. Apple has a lot of work to do to fix its maps app. Will Apple acquire any of these smaller players to speed up the process? We will have to wait and see.

Maps are not the only issue that is keeping Apple busy. Apple and Samsung have been going after each other for a while now. It seems Apple won’t be able to force a sales ban on Samsung products. US District Court judge Lucy Koh has rejected Apple’s request to ban Samsung products that were deemed by a jury to have infringed on Apple patents.

Samsung has also failed to get a retrial for what it considered jury mistrial during the August hearing. Here is what the judge had to say about this case:

The phones at issue in this case contain a broad range of features, only a small fraction of which are covered by Apple’s patents… Though Apple does have some interest in retaining certain features as exclusive to Apple, it does not follow that entire products must be forever banned from the market because they incorporate, among their myriad features, a few narrow protected functions

Apple is expected to appeal this ruling. The fight with Samsung will continue for now though there are some signs that Apple might settle with some of its competitors in the future.