The suits brought by NYT and OpinionLabs formally call thevalidityof Lodsys's patents into question, but unfortunately don't change the game for devs Lodsys already sued, who would still be responsible for licensing fees and other damages if the court determines the patents to be valid (and their apps to be infringing).
This case and others challenging thevalidityof patent protection call into question whether the patent office is abdicating its role of supporting inventors, both big and small, instead becoming an impediment to American innovation.