The possibilities of non-human virtual identities, popularized by digital worlds such as Second Life, are facing growing attention from media outlets, advertising executives, and ordinary computer users alike. Digital Ego counters the common assumption that a virtual identity is only a temporary, innocent manifestation which disappears when a computer is switched off. In this forward-looking volume, Jacob vanKokswijk addresses a broad range of social and legal consequences of virtual identities, including the difference between virtual and real identities and the position of virtual environments in real-world legal systems.