Thistle Inc. V. Tenneco Inc‪.‬

The district court entered summary judgment dismissing the claims of plaintiff, Thistle, Inc., against Tenneco, Inc., Tenneco Oil Co. (collectively, Tenneco), and the other named defendants, which claims were based upon allegations that Tenneco had improperly made available to the other defendants certain seismic information which was owned by Thistle. Thistle's appeal from that judgment presents the general issue whether Thistle, as the assignee of the previous owners' right, title, and interest in such information, is the real party in interest to enforce various licensing agreements between Tenneco and those previous owners relating to such information. We hold that the various assignments received by Thistle carried with them all of the previous owners' interest in the various licensing agreements, including the right to assert any claims for relief in existence at the time of such assignments. Hence, we reverse the judgment of the district court and remand the cause to it for further proceedings.