Adagium: Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum
Vol 4 No 2 (2026): Adagium: Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum

Copyright Protection of Video Game Characters in Indonesia: Unauthorized Modding, Derivative Works, And A Three-Tier Regulatory Framework

Fadhil Ahda Muhaiyaadden (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Deizan Azriel Drahmasyfa (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Farhan Gunawan (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Ikhwan Aulia Fatahillah (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Jul 2026

Abstract

The expansion of the video game industry in Indonesia has intensified modding as a form of digital creativity while also exposing uncertainty over the legal boundaries of copyright protection for game characters. This article examines the legal status of video game characters, the qualification of unauthorized modding under Indonesian copyright law, and the regulatory reconstruction required to address the resulting grey areas. The study employs normative legal research using statutory, conceptual, comparative, and case approaches. Its principal legal materials include Law Number 28 of 2014 on Copyright, digital-law instruments, derivative-work doctrine, end-user licence agreements, technological protection measures, and scholarship on modding practices. The analysis finds that modding involving adaptation, transformation, public distribution, commercialization, or circumvention of technological protection measures may engage the exclusive rights of copyright holders, while private, non-commercial and non-distributive modifications remain less clearly regulated. The article develops a three-tier regulatory framework combining risk-based legal classification, institutionalized community licensing, and proportionate platform accountability. This framework is intended to protect legitimate copyright interests without eliminating socially valuable forms of participatory digital creativity.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

adagium

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

Adagium: Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum adalah jurnal ilmiah berkala yang diterbitkan oleh PT Meja Ilmiah Publikasi (Jurnal ini secara khusus mengkaji ilmu hukum serta mampu menyajikan berbagai hasil penelitian ilmiah terkini dan terkemuka. Administrator jurnal menerima artikel yang dapat memberikan kontribusi ...