Principles for the Standardized Handling of Digital Property Inheritance

Qizhen Yang

doi:10.30560/hssr.v8n3p29

Qizhen Yang Shanxi University, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n3p29

Keywords: digital legacy, personality rights, property rights, inheritance principles

Abstract

The emergence of digital property has sparked another revolution in the expansion of the objects of rights, gradually becoming an important component of citizens' legitimate property. Ensuring the inheritance of digital heritage is an inherent requirement for realizing citizens' digital property rights. However, due to the characteristics of digital heritage-such as the intangibility of its objects, the diversity of its forms, and the complexity of its rights-it poses challenges to the existing inheritance system.The main problems facing digital heritage inheritance are the unclear legal status of digital heritage, the difficulties in applying traditional inheritance models, and the conflicts of rights inherent in digital heritage itself. Digital heritage inheritance should adopt a typological approach, categorizing digital heritage into three types based on their different characteristics: personality rights-based, property rights-based, and composite rights-based. Different types of heritage inheritance should adhere to principled methods of handling, including the principle of party autonomy, the principle of value hierarchy, the principle of proportionality, and the principle of division of rights, all of which are innovatively applied in the context of digital property. A forward-looking legal framework for digital heritage inheritance should define the legal status of digital heritage, establish inheritance principles, and clarify the obligations of third-party platforms. Digital heritage inheritance also requires the coordinated efforts of a digital heritage trustee system, technical protection and regulatory systems, and international cooperation mechanisms. The realization of digital heritage inheritance is not only a necessary condition for safeguarding citizens' legitimate property rights, but also an important component for promoting economic development in the digital age. Effective digital heritage inheritance and reasonable distribution not only ensure the comprehensive protection of citizens' property rights, but also serve as an important indicator of the level of legal civilization in society.

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