Commercial desktop applications?

[JohnC]

Since the COM api for Google Earth desktop edition appears to be on
it's way out, is there any possibility of using the browser plugin
with a desktop application?

I understand we could embed a browser control in our app as a
possibility but then how would the licensing work since we're not
serving from a domain, it's on a users desktop on an internet
connected computer?

Also if it's a commercial application that is sold to others to
install on their desktops then who pays and how can they pay for it?

[StarTraX]

My experience, in developing a desktop application with the API and
running the it in a webBrowser window (.NET stuff), is that although
the licence key is associated with a domain when you register it, it
does not rquire a connection to that domain to operate at run-time.