I may be lacking some understanding on this matter—can anyone clarify? Let's hypothetically say someone has the ‘luck’ or the means to resolve these puzzles and acquire the BTC. Is this presumed to be legal, and if so, to what extent?
I'll keep it short and clear.
"Your Private Key, Your Coins" So if you got the chance to get any private key of any address that has funds, you are it's owner.