I am so glad I found this thread. I am also desperately trying to find if there is a way to basically extract the maximum level of 3D detail from google maps/earth, including any buildings where that data exists.

This level of data exists, I wish there were a way to access it, surely all the same copyright constraints would apply so why keep it locked off? It would be indescribably helpful to access this data and have access to it in mesh form inside an editor... not to be used as final geometry, but just as a template for size, relationships and scale.

Please can someone find a solution to this so we can access this data?!