Tag Archives: incapacity

Identity Fraud Dropped 28% in 2010

According to the 2011 Identity Fraud Survey Report released on February 8, 2011, by Javelin Strategy & Research, identity fraud dropped by 28% in 2010. In terms of the number of identity fraud incidents, that’s a drop of about three million … Continue reading

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House Subcommittee Considers Mandatory Data Retention Rules for Internet Service Providers

One of the topics that generated several questions and additional discussion during my presentation at the 45th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning on January 12, 2011, was data retention rules for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and online accounts. For example, … Continue reading

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Estate Planning for Web Pages and Blogs

If a person becomes incapacitated or dies, look for any Web pages or blogs that the person operated. As most people know, a blog is a personal or business Web page with posted news items, reviews, or personal comments about … Continue reading

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Estate Planning for Video Games and Virtual Worlds

Family members and fiduciaries may not consider online video game accounts or accounts in virtual worlds to be valuable property, but they can be. With online video games, the time and effort involved in building a powerful character or accumulating … Continue reading

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What to Do With a Decedent’s Twitter Account

Previously, I wrote about the popularity of social networking sites and the importance of planning ahead for a person’s incapacity and death with these accounts (link). Recently (link), Twitter’s Help Center added a new page about how to handle a … Continue reading

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Estate Planning for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Other Social Networking Accounts

Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and similar sites enable individuals to communicate and interact easily. In a recent survey of U.S. adults who use social networking accounts, 28% use social networking site to promote themselves or … Continue reading

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Estate Planning and Digital Music

When dealing with a person’s incapacity or death, the family members and fiduciaries should consider the value of the person’s digital intellectual property. If the person was a musician, family members and fiduciaries should review music publishing contracts regarding digital … Continue reading

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Estate Planning and Digital Publishing Rights for Authors

When dealing with a person’s incapacity or death, the family members and fiduciaries should consider the value of the person’s digital intellectual property. If the person was an author, family members and fiduciaries should review book publishing contracts regarding digital … Continue reading

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Estate Planning for Digital Intellectual Property Rights

There can be significant value in the intellectual property rights attached to pictures, music, movies, literary works, Web pages, computer code, and other creative works existing as digital property. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, intellectual property in … Continue reading

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Estate Planning for eBay and Other Online Sales Accounts

Whether a person runs an online sales business or just sells an occasional personal item, online sales may be in process when the person becomes incapacitated or dies. A good place to start is to monitor the person’s e–mail accounts … Continue reading

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