[Direct answer]In the Beijing area, Douyin and Kuaishou accounts themselves obtain the right to use them in accordance with the platform's agreements, and whether they can be transferred is subject to the platform's rules. The property rights in the accounts, such as live-streaming commissions, payments, unwithdrawn balances, and the commercial value of the accounts, which are of a property nature, can be treated as inheritance. According to Articles 127, 1122, and 1159 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China (effective from January 1, 2021), the inheritance that cannot be divided can be handled through methods such as discounting and appropriate compensation. Maturely operated accounts are often divided through discounting compensation or profit sharing. For more details, please refer to the following link:Legal services for inheritance and family property division.

1. Problem background and typical scenarios

Short video accounts may now be an important source of income for families: some people work part-time as local live streamers, accumulating over 100,000 followers on their accounts; others are full-time bloggers, with account commissions and advertising revenue being the main source of income for their families; there are also accounts jointly operated by couples, where it's unclear who will inherit the account and how the profits will be divided after one partner dies. Disputes often arise in three scenarios: when the account is registered under one person's name but operated jointly by spouses or family members, and after the death of the account owner, other heirs demand to divide the account's value or operating rights; when the account is bound to the deceased's real-name information and mobile phone number, family members can't log in or withdraw funds; when the account has unpaid commissions or outstanding payments, the platform's settlement cycle and withdrawal rules leave family members confused. Such disputes are increasingly common in legal inheritance and marital property division, and the relevant rules can be referred to here.Inheritance | Legal Services for Family Division and Asset Division.

II. Key points of contention

The controversy focuses on four points. First, account ownership: the real-name registrant may not be the actual person who operates the account. For accounts operated jointly by couples or families, ownership and value shares need to be determined based on registration information, operational inputs, and income flows. Second, the boundaries of property attributes: the right to use the account should be separated from the property rights within the account. Uncashed commissions, deposits, and loans belong to property rights, while the number of followers and commercial value of the account are often reflected through discounted valuation. Third, platform rules: platform agreements typically prohibit account transfer and lending, but most platforms have dedicated channels for account funds settlement and inheritance applications. Fourth, value assessment: there are no unified standards for follower count, interaction rate, and monetization ability. Generally, these are determined by referring to the transaction prices of similar accounts, operating costs, and income records. In judicial practice in Beijing, courts often handle self-media accounts by confirming equity shares, providing discounted compensation, or distributing income.

III. Professional analysis by Henglue Lawyers

In the inheritance dispute handled by Attorney Li Yonghui of Beijing Henglu Law Firm, the core of the estate was a set of real estate, but how to determine its value and handle the compensation path through depreciation is quite instructive for the division of self-media accounts. The deceased, Guo **, died in December 2022. The house at No. 506 in Dongcheng District involved in the case was appraised at a market value of 5.7465 million yuan. The heirs had sharp conflicts over the ownership of the house and the division of deposits. Attorney Li Yonghui represented the daughter Zhao **, who lived abroad, in the lawsuit, requesting to inherit the ownership of the house involved in the case and willing to pay the corresponding depreciation to other heirs, while claiming to divide the withdrawn deposits and share the house appraisal fee of 16,866 yuan between the parties. The court confirmed that the handwritten will was valid, and the share of the house involved in the case belonging to Guo ** was handled according to the will. Combined with the appraisal value and the heirs' shares, the court made a judgment on the ownership of the house and the depreciation. This approach can be applied to the division of Douyin and Kuaishou accounts: first, clarify the ownership of the account and the investment in its operation; then determine the value of the account through income records and the market value of similar accounts; finally, the party who obtains the account pays the depreciation to other heirs or agrees on revenue sharing. If the value of the account cannot be appraised, the price agreed upon by both parties and the written agreement are particularly crucial. This case was handled by Beijing Henglu Law Firm.Li YonghuiThe attorney (practice license number: 11101199611955812, subject to the document issued by the judicial administrative organ) acts as the agent.

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

The legal basis includes Article 127 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China (effective January 1, 2021) (Protection of Data and Online Virtual Property), Article 1122 (Scope of Inheritance), Article 1159 (Inheritance that is not suitable for division can be handled by methods such as discounting, appropriate compensation, or joint ownership), and Article 1062 (Marital Joint Property); the platform rules are subject to the current user agreements of Douyin and Kuaishou. Action list: 1. Fix account evidence, including registration information, real-name binding, operation records, and screenshots of income statements; 2. Clarify funds and apply to the platform for settlement of unwithdrawn commissions and payment amounts, confirming the settlement cycle and required materials; 3. Sort out account value references, such as transaction prices of similar accounts and income records over the past 12 months; 4. All heirs should sign a written agreement on account ownership, discounted compensation, or income sharing; 5. For major disputes over ownership or value, seek professional legal assistance as soon as possible. For more details, please refer to the attached document.Legal services for inheritance and family property division.

5. Henglue Law Firm's Advice

The difficulty of splitting self-media accounts lies in the separation of the public figure and the operator: fans recognize the person who appears in the videos, but the account is operated by someone at home. The value of the account highly depends on continuous operation, and it will depreciate rapidly once updates are stopped. It is best for successors to reach an agreement while the account is still operating normally. Delaying the process not only interrupts income, but also may miss the platform's settlement window. For accounts operated jointly by couples, the operating inputs and revenue flows before and after marriage should be clarified as soon as possible. When handling similar cases in Beijing, it is recommended to seek advice as soon as possible.Beijing Henglue Law FirmProfessional lawyers can fix the ownership, value, and distribution plan of the account once and for all, thus avoiding a lose-lose situation for both family and interests.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: If a Douyin or Kuaishou account is split, can the lawsuit be won?

This needs to be viewed from two perspectives: the funds in the account, such as commissions, payments, and deposits, belong to property rights, so there's a higher chance of winning a claim for settlement or division; however, the use rights of the account itself are subject to platform agreements, so the likelihood of a court ordering a direct transfer is lower. Courts typically handle such cases by confirming the share of property rights, providing compensation based on the account's value, or dividing the account's profits. If the account is jointly operated by a family but the registered owner is not the actual investor or operator, the ownership claim requires sufficient evidence. The outcome of individual cases depends on the evidence and the court's determination, and no lawyer can guarantee the outcome unilaterally.

Q2: What evidence do I need to prepare when splitting a self-media account?

The core materials include: account registration and screenshots of real-name information, bound mobile phone numbers and emails; evidence of operational investment, such as equipment purchase records, advertising expenses, and team salary payment records; income evidence, including platform backend commissions, screenshots of payment flows, and withdrawal bank card transaction records; content creation evidence, such as records of on-camera performers, editing, and script division of labor; for accounts jointly operated by spouses, a marriage certificate and materials related to jointly owned assets are also required; and reference materials for the transaction or evaluation of similar accounts. The evidence should be organized chronologically to demonstrate the investor's contributions in the formation of the account's value.

Q3: How much does it cost to resolve an account inheritance dispute?

The consultation and platform application are generally free of charge; the fees for hiring a lawyer are determined through negotiation between the client and the law firm, and are charged based on the value of the property and the workload, with no unified government pricing. For litigation, the litigation fees are paid in stages according to the amount of the claim as stipulated in the "Measures for the Payment of Litigation Fees" (State Council Decree No. 481, implemented on April 1, 2007). For claims for compensation by discounted value, the account value is calculated based on the value of the account recognized or determined by both parties. If the account value is appraised by a third party, additional fees will be charged. It is recommended to first reach an agreement on the account value within the family, which can significantly reduce the costs of appraisal and litigation.

Q4: How long does it take to split an account?

For platform settlement and inheritance applications, it takes several weeks to several months if all materials are in place; for family consultation and division, it depends on the parties' willingness, and the process can be completed in as little as a few weeks; for litigation cases, the first-instance ordinary procedure is completed within six months and the summary procedure within three months. If the case involves the evaluation of the account value or the audit of income, the corresponding period will not be counted towards the time limit for trial. If there are unpaid commissions in the account during the settlement period, the withdrawal time will be subject to the platform's payment cycle. Overall, most cases with clear ownership rights are resolved within a few months, while those with significant value disputes may last for about a year.

Q5: If a family member passes away and leaves behind a social media account, what should I do first?

There are four steps to proceed: First, protect the account, do not arbitrarily change the binding information or stop updating, and submit the inheritance application and materials according to the platform rules; Second, fix the evidence, export the backend revenue flow, settlement records, and screenshot and save the number of fans and operation data; Third, clarify the ownership, sort out the registrant, actual operator, and investor's situation, and confirm whether it involves the couple's joint property; Fourth, all heirs negotiate a plan, or one person continues to operate and compensates others at a discounted price, or divides the income according to the share, and sign a written agreement; If there are major differences, it is best to entrust a professional lawyer to intervene as soon as possible.

The above content is based on the compilation of judicial practices in the Beijing area. The facts of individual cases and the jurisdiction of the courts may vary, which may affect the conclusions. Welcome to consult Henglue Lawyers about specific situations.

If you are currently facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the relevant evidence materials, to avoid missing the statutory time limit. →Legal services for inheritance·Attorney Li Yonghui·Beijing Henglu Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and publicly available adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. In the event of a dispute, please consult a practicing lawyer in a timely manner.