The huge hole in your analogy is that the coffee is not sold by YL, but by a fully owned Starbucks subsidiary. And it's Starbucks corporate that relentlessly g

The huge hole in your analogy is that the coffee is not sold by YL, but by a fully owned Starbucks subsidiary. And it's Starbucks corporate that relentlessly games the system, adjusts the licencing fees and defines the licensor (all owned by the very same company) in order to minimize tax. That makes the 3 quid licece fee not really a legitimate business expense, but a sham. Set up in order not to pay taxes. Legal? Sure. Honest, fair and decent? Most certainly not. With all the anger, the austerity and the countries waking up to such shenigans I wonder how much longer such dodgy schemes will work anyway and I have a hunch the clampdown will be very, very hard. At least I hope so.