Some people just have too much time on their hands and perhaps too much money to hire an attorney for a frivolous lawsuit. If Google people happened to step on my parking strip, it may be annoying but I really wouldn’t compare that action to segregation as they stated in the article. I personally would be more annoyed if the bike nuts chained one of those silver bikes to a phone pole on my property.

Google should have sought a property release for traveling up the driveway. As I understand the law, I can photograph any building exterior from which the photo is obtained from a public right of way. So if I can see your house up a driveway it's fair game, although I would bring it up with the owners anyway. It's a gray area from a personal privacy pov, and if it were my house, I would not like it.

This has become more onerous lately; because of worries over terrorism, photographing certain structures becomes problematic. I had to photograph for a client, a potion of a building complex that was available from the street. The security people came out and tried to stop me. I asked for the boundaries and said I was within my rights to shoot it. So long as I stayed off their property, they didn't pursue the effort. I still got the photos I needed, just a bit more inconvenient. (The complex is a tourist attraction as well, and while discussing the matter, I noted several people taking "touristy" shots, people in front of entrances etc. No one bothered them!

One man's experience (with advice from ASMP guidelines concerning such matters)

PS: Someone is bound to try and sue for the aerial views via satellite and flyovers. Air rights, I suppose!