WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A South Florida judge has ordered home-improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. to pay $3 million in punitive damages for stealing an invention.

Calling the company callous and arrogant, U.S. District Judge Daniel Hurley ruled Monday that Home Depot pushed Michael Powell away "for their own economic benefit."

A Home Depot spokesman said the company disagreed with the ruling and is considering an appeal.

Powell allowed the company to test his invention: a saw guard to keep employees from slicing off their fingers while cutting wood. He later asked for $2,000 for each of the devices. Instead, he said, the company dispatched workers to duplicate his idea.

A jury in March said the company should pay Powell $15 million for his "Safe Hands" gadget found in stores nationwide.

Home Depot Inc. operates 11 stores in Western New York.