Your apps will die with you: Why your kids won’t inherit your digital downloads

Users with large collections of digital downloads will not be able to bequeath them to descendants after their death, according to legal experts. According to The Wall Street Journal, while consumers who acquire large physical CD or book collections can bequeath their collections to descendants, those same rights are not extended to consumers who download […]

Andrew Sadauskas 29 August, 2012

Users with large collections of digital downloads will not be able to bequeath them to descendants after their death, according to legal experts.

According to The Wall Street Journal, while consumers who acquire large physical CD or book collections can bequeath their collections to descendants, those same rights are not extended to consumers who download large collections of eBooks or MP3s from popular download stores such as Amazon or Apple iTunes.

This is because the terms of service for Amazon and Apple iTunes grants users a “non-transferable” licence to use digital content.

Strictly interpreted, this “non-transferable” licence clause prevents users from bequeathing the downloads, even after death.