The times they are a-changin’.
This post seems to be older than 16 years—a long time on the internet. It might be outdated.
The sign mounted on this hideous sculpture of a typewriter eraser scarring a Seattle neighborhood says, “Sorry, photography of this statue is not permitted.”
My new pet peeve: people who try to abuse the law.
My understanding is this:
With very few exceptions (basically nothing except maybe DoD related), anything that is viewable from a public place is fair game to photograph. One of the key words here is “viewable”. Even if it’s on private property, as longs as it’s viewable from a public area it’s fair game.