Res

In Dutch law, which has been strongly influenced by Roman law, the term res is used to denote things or property. This encompasses both physical objects and certain intangible assets that are susceptible to ownership rights or other patrimonial rights.

The term is relevant in the law of property, where a distinction is drawn between different categories of res, such as res in commercio (things that may be freely traded) and res extra commercium (things excluded from commerce, such as public roads or state property).

In practice, the term regularly arises in matters concerning ownership, expropriation or international treaties, where the status of a res determines whether it is alienable.