Ben has posted an e-mail exchange to the Geowanking mailing list that confirms that, according to a DigitalGlobe representative, “Google has signed an exclusive agreement with us to display our full-resolution imagery on the web,” which means that Google Maps and Earth are the only way to access their sub-10-metre imagery. Ben wrote to the list, “I can imagine why Google did this — to prevent Microsoft, Mapquest etc. from licensing the same imagery in their webmapping frameworks — but the net effect is that ordinary people, NGOs and small companies are also cut off.” Via James Fee and Slashgeo; see also All Points Blog.