87 Online Game Accounts Left by Deceased Son...Chinese Court Rules They Can Be Inherited

Game Accounts Developed Over 10 Years of Paid Transactions

Game Company: "Ownership Transfer Not Allowed"

Court: "Recognizes Property Interest"

A court in China has ruled that a mother may inherit the right to use her deceased son's online game accounts, which he had built up over more than ten years.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Pixabay

According to the Sing Tao Daily in Hong Kong on August 5, the Shijingshan District Court in Beijing recently ruled that the family of the deceased could inherit the right to use his online game accounts.

The case began when a mother filed a lawsuit after her son, who had enjoyed online games since his twenties, passed away from illness. She requested to change the ownership of her son's game accounts to her own name.

During his lifetime, the son had created 87 game accounts with a game company and developed them over more than ten years through paid purchases and in-game activities. After his funeral, his mother learned by chance that the game accounts could potentially be monetized. She requested a change of ownership from the game company, but her request was denied.

The game company argued that, according to the user agreement, ownership of game accounts and items belongs to the company, and users only hold limited rights to use them. The company also claimed that game accounts are inherently tied to individual users, meaning they cannot be considered part of a person's estate. Although the specific monetary value of the 87 accounts and items was not disclosed, it was known that their significant value had resulted from years of paid transactions.

However, the court came to a different conclusion. The court recognized that, even if the game company holds ownership of the accounts, the right to use game accounts and items developed through a user’s time, effort, and money constitutes a "property interest." Such a right is protected under civil law.

Accordingly, the court ruled that the right to use the virtual property could be succeeded by the deceased’s sole legal heir, his mother. The court also ordered the game company to support procedures for changing the real-name authentication information within 15 days. As neither side appealed, the ruling is now final.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.