Twenty years ago, before Makita established its successful line of power tools in the U.S., you were about as likely to see an aqua-blue tool on a job site as you were an elephant. Now "Makita-blue" tools — some Makita, some other brands — are as common as nails. The same is true of yellow tools these days, ever since Black & Decker reestablished the DeWalt line as a standard-bearer of quality. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but tool manufacturers sometimes sue companies whose tools copy the look of their own too closely. In the late 1980s, for instance, Makita sued Jepson for making tools with casings of a blue similar to Makita's. Makita lost when
