Judge: Home Depot Stole Invention

A federal judge has ordered Home Depot to pay $3 million in punitive damages to a South Florida inventor who claimed that the hardware store chain stole his invention.

That's on top of a previous jury award of more than $15 million.

Michael Powell of West Palm Beach, Florida, alleged that he came up with a prototype of a safety device that fits on to the radial arm of power saws that Home Depot uses to cut lumber for its customers.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hurley noted that Powell had come to Home Depot with an invention that could help save employees from cutting off their fingers. He offered to make several prototypes and put them in several of the company’s stores for $2,000 each.

Instead, the company went out and found someone else to copy the device.

“Home Depot knew exactly what it was doing. They had complete notice from the very beginning, and they simply pushed Mr. Powell away and they did it totally and completely for its own economic benefit,” the judge said.

Company spokesman Stephen Holmes said Home Depot “respectfully disagrees” with the ruling and is considering an appeal.

More details on the lawsuit between Home Depot and South Florida inventor Michael Powell are available from the South Florida Business Journal.