![](/static/253f0d9b/assets/icons/icon-96x96.png)
![](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/ea4c7d39-bb1c-4f59-b46b-c795c3ee0536.jpeg)
I specified utility patents. The smartphone wars covered a huge gamut of different types of IP, including both utility and design patents. If something is purely ornamental in nature (and new), it can get a design patent. There’s quite a bit more nuance to it than that, tbf, but I’m on my mobile trying to gtfo bed in the morning so don’t really want to dive into a doctrinal lesson on patents.
The tax you pay is one the net gain, which is the amount realized less the base of the good (i.e., what you paid to acquire). I’m not a tax expert, and real estate can get really fucky with this stuff, but that’s my understanding of the fundamental rules for taxation.