How to hide download-URL?

Anon

Hello,

If I want to sell a piece of software from a website, and set up a system so that after payment has been completed, the customer will be given a link to the ZIP-file of the "product", how do I make it impossible for the customer to copy the URL of the ZIP-file? (and thereby having the ability to distribute the URL for others to download for free)

Is there any other way than putting a Cookie on the customers computer saying "this one has paid"? Not a very secure solution...

Also, what can I do to avoid that the customer sends me an email complaining that the download was broken before completion and that he wants his money back or a new download?

Thanks in advance for any help,
Berhard S.

[deleted]

When a client has paid, create a new directory in your documentroot, give it some exotic-random name like
"JjhjytYru5rYp8oHLgv75^" and copy the file to it.
Then pass the URL to that new directory to the client.

Then store the name of that dir in a list somewhere and mark the time.
Then tell the client he has 2-3 hours to download the file. Then after 3 hours you delete the directory and the link becomes invalid.

Note: yes this means that the link can be distributed for about 3 hours, but if they are so desperate for your product, they will copy it between themselves, and not download it from your site.

arnis

Or You can just

$f = fopen("/nonwebdir/file","r");
header("Content-Type: application/octetstream");
header("Content-Disposition: atachment; filename=$file");
fpassthru($f);

rogair

Or you can create a directory and create a symbolic link to the file and link to the symbolic link. That way you are not taxing your system by copying files all over the place.