I do think that particular deal is just one example of the new patent battles. I agree with you on the Nortel Patents, but it seems like Apple and other companies are making a lot of bogus patent filings and getting them approved.
The real problem is current patent law and how it relates to new technologies and the fact that Judges don’t know enough about technology to make good decisions in these cases.
This only encourages companies to make a patent request for anything and everything, sue for anything, and drive the price up on patents which shouldn’t even exist in the first place.
There should be a better compromise between patents and healthy competition.