Who were the TM Owners?

Who were the owners of the trademarks? Registration was open to all, but for those declared enemies in late 1939, following the outbreak of World War II. The reconstructed registry reveals the identity of the applicants – with the British traders leading the chart. The data was extracted from the trademark applications, and for most places, was straightforward.

For the local applications, namely applicants with an address in Palestine, we further identified Jewish and Arab (Muslim and Christian) applicants, based on name, place of residence, and external indications. The data reveal that Jewish traders used the British system from the start and without hesitation, whereas the use of the Arab traders was more limited, and we find such marks especially in competitive markets, such as the tobacco, soap, and citrus industries.

For more on the overall picture, see here, and in the Background section.