Eastman Oil Well Survey Corp. v. Lane-Wells Co‪.‬

TRAYNOR, J. Plaintiff, Eastman Oil Well Survey Corporation, brought this action for a declaration of its obligations under a contract with defendant, Lane-Wells Company. The contract gave plaintiff a license to use patented methods for orienting oil wells, i.e. discovering the angle and the direction in which they have been drilled. In return, plaintiff agreed to pay a royalty representing a percentage of what it charged its clients for orienting wells. After the execution of the contract, plaintiff perfected a new method of orientation, and seeks a declaration that it need pay no royalty on transactions in which it uses its own methods.