By ditching the scheme, IBM has dodged a money problem by wiping out the saved-up, unused credits given to program members, which could have been turned into cash prizes.

For years, IBM has run an "Invention Achievement Award Plan" to encourage its staff to be creative. In return for getting patents or writing articles that stopped rival patents, IBM workers got points that led to praise and maybe cash bonuses.

In the good old days, all inventors named on a successful submission were given invention points. One point was given for writing. Three points were given for getting a patent, or four if the patent was outstanding.

For getting 12 points, programme members would get paid. "Inventors reach an invention level for every 12 points they get -- which must include at least one patent," the rules said.

And for each level reached, IBM would pay its inventors $1,200 for their work. Not anymore, it seems. IBM killed the programme at the end of 2023 and replaced it with a new one that uses a different, useless point system called BluePoints.

Company FAQs say the old Invention Achievement Award Plan will be gone at midnight (eastern time) on 31 December 2023.

"Since level awards are one of the things being axed, level points must be earned on or before 31 December 2023 to get the prize.

 Any old level points that have not been used will not be changed to BluePoints."

IBM's invention check process could take months, meaning workers didn't have time between the news and the programme end to go to the next level and cash in.

Those in the program were not happy about the points snatched away.

To be fair to Biggish Blue, some staff thought the Invention Award programme was rubbish long ago. It paid for words on a page instead of real innovation.