[belgianguy]

Rockstar Bidco, owned by Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Ericsson and Blackberry.

They use this legal vehicle to create shell companies armed with ex-Nortel patents to attack Android manufacturers and Google itself.

So they (Apple) very much play this game, and this evolution can be seen as a response to the threat that Rockstar Bidco poses.

Software patents are bad all around: given their infantile lifespan they sure have caused a lot of trouble already and their offensive usage will really hamper anyone not protected by a big company.