What does the law of accession state?

The law of accession asserts that ownership rights to property can extend to the finished products that someone creates by altering or adding to raw materials. When a person takes raw materials and transforms them into a new product, they gain ownership of the new item regardless of the original ownership of the raw materials. This principle is grounded in the idea that labor and effort used to create something new confer ownership to the creator.

For instance, if someone takes wood—owned by another person—and crafts it into furniture, the finished furniture is owned by the person who created it. This legal perspective encourages innovation and the use of materials to create value by acknowledging the rights of those who put in significant work to produce new items. This understanding emphasizes the importance of labor and creativity in determining ownership in instances of property transformation.