Legal Definitions - res communes

Term: Res communes
Definition: Res communes are things that belong to everyone and cannot be owned or controlled by any one person. Examples of res communes include air, sunlight, and the ocean. These things are essential for life and cannot be claimed by any individual or group. For instance, no one can own the air we breathe or the sunlight that shines on us. Similarly, the ocean is a shared resource that cannot be owned by any country or person. These examples illustrate the concept of res communes, which refers to things that are common to all and cannot be owned or appropriated by anyone.