Google Bid for Patent Portfolio

Google have made a bid for a patent portfolio owned by Nortel. From the official Google Blog they make clear their continued opposition to software patents, saying that "The patent system should reward those who create the most useful innovations for society, not those who stake bogus claims or file dubious lawsuits.". Google and it's partners have been the target of numerous patent lawsuits over the last year, primarily related to Android.
The reasoning behind the bid for the Nortel patent portfolio according to Google is that it will provide disincentive for others to sue. However, with the rise of patent trolls that have no business except for patent litigation it is a strategy with limited scope. The case of Google and Android stand as an sombre example of the harm software patents can have on innovation.