A Facebook game, FarmVille, allows members to manage virtual crops together. Would there be any benefit in being able to pass on to one’s heirs “the fruits of one’s virtual labor”? Why or why not?

Many people participate in virtual worlds in cyberspace through avatars (alter egos). Often, these avatars amass virtual property that has an actual value in the real world.

For example, in Second Life, a popular virtual world created by Linden Lab, Linden dollars are traded for real dollars at a ratio of 259 to 1. The virtual goods market in the United States is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion, and worldwide the value may be much as $5 billion. But who really owns the value of this virtual property? If you own a gold coin in the real world, it has a market value and can be passed on to your heirs. But if you own a “gold coin” in Second Life, will your heirs be able to inherit it after you die?

The fate of a decedent’s virtual estate depends, in part, on the virtual world in which it was created. The administrators of some virtual worlds and some Internet service providers give a new account holder the option of requesting that her or his executor be given access to the account in the event of his or her death. Otherwise, the account is simply erased.