Rekonstruksi Hukum Perikatan dalam Transaksi Virtual Goods terhadap Status Kepemilikan dan Tanggung Jawab Para Pihak

Abstract

The development of the digital economy has driven the emergence of virtual goods transactions as part of modern economic activity, possessing real value despite their intangibility. This phenomenon poses challenges in contract law, particularly regarding the status of virtual goods as legal objects, the form of legal relationships between users and platforms, and the responsibilities of the parties. This study aims to analyze and reconstruct contract law in virtual goods transactions to make it more adaptive to developments in digital technology. The research method used is normative legal research with a statutory, conceptual, and case-based approach, and qualitative analysis through legal interpretation and juridical argumentation. The results show that virtual goods can theoretically qualify as legal objects because they have economic value, can be controlled, and transferred. However, their regulation in practice is still dominated by standard contracts that tend to place users in a weak position. Furthermore, the aspect of legal responsibility does not fully provide adequate protection for users. The implications of this study emphasize the need to expand the concept of contract law, both in terms of the object and the structure of the legal relationship, to create certainty, justice, and balanced legal protection in virtual goods transactions in the digital era.