This research focuses on digitizing and analyzing trademark registration notifications published in “The Gazette” newspaper during the British Mandate’s rule in Palestine (1917-1948). Unfortunately, the comprehensive trademark registry from this period has been lost, leaving a significant gap in the historical account of Palestine, which is crucial for the historical analysis of national and economic history in Mandatory Palestine.

Digitizing these notifications and associated trademark images presents challenges such as poor scan quality and evolving newspaper structures. In his graduate project, Bar Ifrah, had implemented a system for extracting and matching trademarks at The Gazette, advised by Michael Birnhack and Eran Toch.

The draft paper preprint can be found on SSRN.

The code is available at its github repository.

The findings reveal an identification rate of 86.6%, with 83.29% for the algorithm (excluding manually analyzed papers). The study demonstrates a positive correlation between the matching process’s effectiveness and publication date. Notably, the identification rate saw a remarkable increase of 13.34% over the years, overcoming challenges posed by subpar scan quality and structural modifications. The accuracy rate reached 97.51%, with a slight decline in the 1920s due to frequent alterations in notice structures.

The study underscores the need for further advancements in historic preservation efforts and holds relevance for disciplines such as law, economics, history, and sociology. By enriching our comprehension of the past, this project paves the way for valuable learning and interdisciplinary exploration.