IBM has come under fire after canceling its “Invention Achievement Award Plan,” a program that rewarded inventors with points that could be converted into cash bonuses. By canceling the program, IBM has avoided the financial liability of issuing these bonuses. The program, which incentivized employee innovation through patent filings and publications, was replaced with a new system called BluePoints. Many employees were disappointed by the sudden cancellation, with some questioning whether it was fair to cancel the payments after work had been delivered. Critics argue that the program rewarded quantity over quality and inflated egos rather than promoting true innovation.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/17/ibm_inventor_reward_program/