user323: Have there been any articles or presentations about Bitcoins in any influential or respected law-related websites or perhaps interviews with notable lawyers or the like?

user153: There have been plenty of dollars spent on lawyers by Mt. Gox, BitInstant and others, but for specific legal issues.
For instance, a decision after Mt. Gox sued its bank in France:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41317.0

There is the CryptoCurrency Legal Advocacy Group:

http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Cryptocurrency_Legal_Advocacy_Group
http://www.theclag.org

There is an argument that Bitcoin isn't a security (in the U.S.):

http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/26/why-bitcoin-isnt-a-security-under-federal-securities-law
http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/17/extending-real-world-laws-to-virtual-worlds-is-a-terrible-idea

Is Bitcoin a commodity then? 

http://blog.bitcointitan.com/post/17789738826/what-u-s-regulations-apply-to-bitcoins-as-commodities

Other links:
Ruben Grinberg's paper:
Bitcoin: An Innovative Alternative Digital Currency

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1817857

Real legal issues with virtual currencies:

http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2010/051010sec2.html

Quora: Is Bitcoin Legal?

http://www.quora.com/Is-Bitcoin-legal

There are even lawyers who accept bitcoin:

http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#Legal_Services
http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=65482.0

But that's about the extent of it, thus far -- at least what's publicly known.

323: <p>Have there been any articles or presentations about Bitcoins in any influential or respected law-related websites or perhaps interviews with notable lawyers or the like?</p>
 153: <p>There have been plenty of dollars spent on lawyers by Mt. Gox, BitInstant and others, but for specific legal issues.</p>

<p>For instance, a decision after Mt. Gox sued its bank in France:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41317.0">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41317.0</a></li>
</ul>

<p>There is the CryptoCurrency Legal Advocacy Group:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Cryptocurrency_Legal_Advocacy_Group">http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Cryptocurrency_Legal_Advocacy_Group</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theclag.org">http://www.theclag.org</a></li>
</ul>

<p>There is an argument that Bitcoin isn't a security (in the U.S.):</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/26/why-bitcoin-isnt-a-security-under-federal-securities-law">http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/26/why-bitcoin-isnt-a-security-under-federal-securities-law</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/17/extending-real-world-laws-to-virtual-worlds-is-a-terrible-idea">http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2011/06/17/extending-real-world-laws-to-virtual-worlds-is-a-terrible-idea</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Is Bitcoin a commodity then? </p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://blog.bitcointitan.com/post/17789738826/what-u-s-regulations-apply-to-bitcoins-as-commodities">http://blog.bitcointitan.com/post/17789738826/what-u-s-regulations-apply-to-bitcoins-as-commodities</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Other links:</p>

<p>Ruben Grinberg's paper:
Bitcoin: An Innovative Alternative Digital Currency</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1817857">http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1817857</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Real legal issues with virtual currencies:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2010/051010sec2.html">http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2010/051010sec2.html</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Quora: Is Bitcoin Legal?</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.quora.com/Is-Bitcoin-legal">http://www.quora.com/Is-Bitcoin-legal</a></li>
</ul>

<p>There are even lawyers who accept bitcoin:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#Legal_Services">http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#Legal_Services</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=65482.0">http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=65482.0</a></li>
</ul>

<p>But that's about the extent of it, thus far -- at least what's publicly known.</p>
