Microsoft in particular seems to be in the enviable position of "heads I win, tails you lose." The result of these lawsuits will be to increase the effective price of Android, driving handset manufacturers into Microsoft's (legally) protective arms.
One of the long-term results might be a geographical schism — nothing usual in the mobile phone market. Since most of the difficulty lies in the US patent system, you might see a manufacturer make Windows phones for the US market for the legal protection and Android phones in other regions for the increased customization and reduced licensing cost. Some developers targeted by Lodsys have withdrawn their apps from US app stores to avoid the legal headache while their software remains available in other regions.
The end result could be that the rest of the world will enjoy more mobile choice and innovation than will be possible in the heavily patented US.
"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event." — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.
