Opening The Door: Copyrightability Of Interpreted Seismic Models After GSI v. TGS

Subsurface models and seismic lines have allowed upstream oil companies to predict the location of pockets of hydrocarbons, and have greatly eased the drilling process, particularly offshore.These models are of great value to companies, who therefore have the utmost interest in protecting them.Recently, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a company had an implied license to distribute copyright-protected subsurface models, stating in dicta that the models were entitled to copyright protection.This article will analyze the potential implications of, and the protections afforded by, Geophysical Services Inc. v. TGS-NOPEC Geophysical.