<story><title>Toshiba’s loss of star engineer tells tale of company&apos;s decline</title><url>https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Toshiba-in-Turmoil/Toshiba-s-loss-of-star-engineer-tells-tale-of-company-s-decline</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>lettergram</author><text>It&amp;#x27;s really not much better in the U.S. or elsewhere. I believe it was Nokia which had a patent program where it was a $500 bonus per patent. Meaning, even if you invented something - that was your bonus.&lt;p&gt;In my current role we have a similar program, beyond the relatively small bonus I think the only benefit is bragging rights. Patenting or inventing something means little to superiors. Large companies focus on the short term stategic initiatives, often being unable to capitalize on long term or even short term opportunities. That&amp;#x27;s why more nimble startups are more effective.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ptaipale</author><text>The patent bonus at Nokia was just that, a patent bonus; the purpose of the program was to systematically collect a large portfolio of patents; such a patent mass is used in IPR  negotiations with other technology giants. Those patents were mass-produced - I got paid for one too - but I wouldn&amp;#x27;t call them &amp;quot;inventions&amp;quot;.&lt;p&gt;There were other, substantially larger bonuses for innovations made by staff, when these innovations had larger economical impact (for instance, optimizing the production line).</text></comment>
<story><title>Toshiba’s loss of star engineer tells tale of company&apos;s decline</title><url>https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Toshiba-in-Turmoil/Toshiba-s-loss-of-star-engineer-tells-tale-of-company-s-decline</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>lettergram</author><text>It&amp;#x27;s really not much better in the U.S. or elsewhere. I believe it was Nokia which had a patent program where it was a $500 bonus per patent. Meaning, even if you invented something - that was your bonus.&lt;p&gt;In my current role we have a similar program, beyond the relatively small bonus I think the only benefit is bragging rights. Patenting or inventing something means little to superiors. Large companies focus on the short term stategic initiatives, often being unable to capitalize on long term or even short term opportunities. That&amp;#x27;s why more nimble startups are more effective.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>seanmcdirmid</author><text>Patents aren’t really equivalent to inventions. In companies where they are thought to be the same, abuse with frivolous patent applications is rife.</text></comment>