It's just a box of patents, I don't know who put it there...

Reuters is reporting that Germany is considering closing the "patent box" tax loophole (story: here).

This raises the obvious question: what?

Turns out, some countries (notably the UK and the Netherlands) offer corporate tax breaks to companies that commercialize (or, in the case of the UK, "commercialise") patented technology.  Profits on products that incorporate patented technology are subject to a corporate tax rate of 10%, rather than the current 23% (source: here).  Apparently some German companies are taking advantage of these tax breaks to move their operations out of Germany and into a "patent box" jurisdiction.

It's called the "patent" box because it doesn't apply to products covered by trademark or copyright.

I have no idea why it's called a "box."