The last paragraph there is interesting indeed, given the related story about WD not selling hdd platters to competitors.

So, where does it leave things like patent designs, if everyone's being asked to pool ideas towards standardised versions?

Usually when new technologies for consumers come out, we have to put up with the same phoney polarity between two different standards: Sky or BSB, VHS or Betamax, Blu-ray or HD.
Maybe the "problem" with solid states is that, they pretty much already have standard interfaces anyway (like using SATA), and the usual fabricated techwars wouldn't be going on in an area that is bad for the end users buying choices.