Just last week, that Google formally asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to re-examine two patents asserted by Lodsys, a patent firm that's suing 11 smartphone application developers, ranging from very small boutiques to big software companies like Atari and Electronic Arts. Lodsys charges these developers are using in-app payment technology covered by the patents.

"But despite the fact that two Android developers were named as defendants -- Rovio, the Finnish development studio behind Angry Birds, and Illusion Labs, a Swedish company that produces the game Labyrinth -- Google has remained conspicuously quiet on the issue until now, rankling many in the development community," Wired reported.

Google has been trumpeting rather pro forma sounding statements from its Android handset partners, endorsing the Motorola acquisition. That endorsement may reflect the relief HTC, Samsung and the others feel over Google having much more skin, and leverage, in the patent game.

But the acquisition might have unintended consequences, , referencing the experience of the Symbian mobile OS, where Nokia came to dominate the other licensees. "The lesson (and warning) was that a licensor that is also a licensee makes other licensees uncomfortable. The supplier is also a competitor. This is classic channel conflict and never ends well," he argues.

In light of that, he says, Google's promise that Android will remain open "seems naive at best."