Profits obtained under the protection of an IPR should be taxed higher than when obtained competing naked.

Sir, Martin Wolf discusses the vital topic of how intellectual property rights could, simultaneously, be agents that help promote the ideas and inventions needed for a better future, and an obstacle to competition. “Let knowledge spread around the world” April 25.

I have also grappled with this issue and although it might surely not be the only option, for a long time I have thought that placing a special tax on profits obtained under the coverage of an IPR, could help to bring forward that moment when sharing out freely the rights, instead of exploiting these up to the tilt, would make more business sense.

Also what justice is it in that those who have to compete completely naked in the market, should be taxed at the same rate as those who the society defends by defending their IPRs?

By the way, that special tax on IPR profits should go to partially fund, by means of a Universal Basic Income what could be considered as a Human Heritage Dividend.

@PerKurowski