[EGreg]

I don't think this will increase the cost of getting a patent granted. Rather, it will shift the costs / risks to the patent holder when they bring suit against defendants. They will no longer be picking on small entities to push them into capitulating out of court, but rather engage in real court cases against companies that they have a bona fide belief are infringing.

Together with boosting discovery of prior art (askpatents etc) this should go a long way towards righting the economics of the problem.