Here's a nice blog post about Nokia and software patents:
http://flors.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/digging-in-the-nokia-and-software-patents-topic/
The author seems to take a more open-minded approach to software patents than some in the open source realm. Personally, I haven't come to an opinion and doubt I'll ever feel steadfastly for-or-against software patents. From what I understand, patent infringement and patent enforcement are not as straightforward exercises compared to those involved with copyrights. I believe they are even more complicated, expensive, and difficult than trademark cases.
Take the case of Lindows for example - Microsoft went aggressive against them for infringing on their Windows trademark, but ended up paying millions to end the legal battle they started.
There is little doubt in my mind that patent law has already been leveraged in abusive manners and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, however I do expect there to be some sort of reform or at least adjustment in its practice. Thanks to the ease-of-which concepts and ideas are documented these days, it will probably be easier to prove prior art than ever before.