After pushing for discovery on tactics allegedly being used to funnel bogus plaintiffs into consolidated pelvic mesh personal injury litigation, Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon Inc. unit suddenly withdrew its motion last week, without explanation.

Was J&J's unusual discovery request an attempt to make a principled stand against fraud and harassment? Was it a bid to smear legitimate plaintiffs and overwhelm their lawyers? Or was it something in between?

If you picked the former, you're most likely lamenting J&J's decision to drop the discovery motion, which was being closely watched in the pharmaceuticals industry. But even for those who saw Ethicon's move as a gimmick, questions remain: Who was behind the suspect solicitations? And why did the company drop its bid so abruptly?