Impact of patent disputes between tech companies on the ecosystem

In the last few days, I read about the ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Samsung.
I thought about the impact (of this dispute) on not only the disputing parties, but also the ecosystem - particularly, Nokia (an ex-leader that is trying to come back) and MSFT (a new entrant that is strong in allied industry).

We can also look at the patent battle between Google and Oracle in the past.

Patent dispute is one event that can change the ecosystem. There can be other such events. However, the recent courtroom trysts between tech cos perhaps makes this topic all the more fitting.

We can extend the topic to see whether the Marketing function at Nokia and MSFT can do something differently to derive value out of this legal battle. The Marketing objectives of Nokia and MSFT are different, and hence, the resulting strategies could be different, too.

We may also provide a cultural angle to this discussion. The fight is between a Korean firm and an American firm - and we are talking about a European firm and an American firm taking advantage of the dispute.