NY Times: No Tax Patents

The New York Times today editoirializes against tax patents in Pay to Obey:

The broken American patent system has a knack for sanctioning the ridiculous. In the latest example, businesses are receiving patents for devising ways to obey the law — the tax code, to be more specific. What’s next, a patented murder defense? ...

Patents are supposed to encourage innovation, rewarding the individual for the greater good of society. But excessive or overly broad patents can slow business activity to the pace of cold molasses. And we sure don’t need something else to worry about on tax day.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• NY Times on Patenting Tax Strategies (10/20/06)
• NYSBA Releases Report on Patentability of Tax Advice and Tax Strategies (8/18/06)
• WSJ on Patenting Tax Advice (7/26/06)
• House Holds Hearing Today on Patenting Tax Advice (7/13/06)