...the more important point is that both parties are now incentivized to behave differently. One can even argue that they're now predisposed to innovate like they've never done before.

I agree completely. It would be a shame if the smartphone race turned into the refrigerator, or dare I say television industry, when you go into a store and every television and refrigerator look exactly the same. Smartphones should all be distinct, at least in the operating system. This way we don't end up with 2 choices where 1 dominates, like Windows vs Mac.

Apple--which isn't evil no matter how some may think--may press on with its smartphone and tablet UI innovation in an effort to truly distinguish the look and feel of its products in an ever-busier market, conscious that Samsung is nipping at its heels. iOS is getting a little long in the tooth, and now may be the perfect time to spend company time transforming it into the next generation of smartphone OS's.

I sure hope this happens. If the verdict changes the copying behavior of its competitors, Apple is in a great position to reinvent the greatest invention of our time. Here's to innovation.