If memory serves right (from the last time Nokia's GSM IP came into quesiton with Qualcomm and a few others like Samsung et al), Nokia does tend to do a solid job of keeping this out of the public light. In this case, it actually doesn't do them good from a corporate view perspective since the recent earnings numbers don't look good for them.

Its more probable that they have been speaking with Nokia for sometime, and only recently has there been a reason for them to question something that Apple is doing. If they don't protect their IP in this case, in other cases they will lose out. And considering the nice payoff from the Qualcomm case (money changing hands and a agreement to not sue each other for a time), Nokia is playing their cards just fine.

Now, whether fans of Apple and Nokia realize that or not is another story. The internet does not portend to create intelligent discussions, just loud ones.