Or maybe actually you think of yellow devices because you saw plenty of non-Fluke yellow multimeters and now letting them appropriate the yellow color everyone associated to multimeters is unfair ?

I learned about Fluke making good multimeters probably about 17 years ago, in a student job. I'm pretty sure it was already yellow (and thus before they applied for the trademark).

Remember they're not claiming the color yellow, they're claiming the contrast between the body and the border. An all yellow multimeter wouldn't be infringing.

Oh yeah that's a good point! That does change it quite a bit, as I wouldn't see, say, a lime green and yellow-bordered device and instantly think "Oh yeah, that's a multimeter" automatically.

Hmm a fair point. Honestly, I always assumed that yellow was sort of an industry standard for multimeters so that they would be easily recognizable say in darker spaces where electricians may not have great lighting.

But you could still make a multimeter that isn't "Yellow border with dark-grey face". You could make an all-yellow device. Or invert the colors (yellow face grey bumper). Or use any other color for either the face or the bumper.

I sold Fluke meters from 1990-96. They were mostly dark grey with a yellow bumper, and the meter in this article looks like a Fluke. Interestingly, my 20 year old Fluke 73 (which still works great, second battery) is only grey with no yellow. I would have to think that within Sparkfun with its 100+ employees doing electronics that they had to know it looked like a Fluke.

They are expensive, but if you use a meter everyday you probably have one. Its a good tool. Mine has taken a lot of abuse.