securing digital ebooks from online piracy

[newb_bee]

Hi, I'd like to know the best method(s) of ... protecting the download
link ... it's location ...not having a new window pop up with the URL
in it...

I am aware there is no foolproof way (-:

What are my _best_ options for getting paid for my products before the
purchaser gets sent to the page? I am selling downloadable ebooks
(yes, our own, not somebody else's). I use PaySystems if that matters
so I have options there, but am most concerned with the file folder
full of product.

anything I'm missing?

thanks very much.
newb_bee

 

[lallous]

Hello,

Afaik, you can use serverside scripting such as PHP, as:

<?
// do validation here
.....
// output the header here using Header()
.....

// output the ebook data here (and download will be started if you outputted
correct header previously)
readfile('ebook1.pdf');
?>

Regards,
Elias

 

[Marco Dieckhoff]

Hi, I'd like to know the best method(s) of ... protecting the download
link ... it's location ...not having a new window pop up with the URL
in it...

I am aware there is no foolproof way (-:

What are my _best_ options for getting paid for my products before the
purchaser gets sent to the page? I am selling downloadable ebooks
(yes, our own, not somebody else's). I use PaySystems if that matters
so I have options there, but am most concerned with the file folder
full of product.

The best way is not to put the ebooks online directly.

Send them (via script) by email to your customer.

 

[Sandra Fieger]

Thanks Marco,
That's certainly an option, but since the books are digitally secured,
they end up an .exe file, as a self extracting application, which most
people do not want to receive via email because of virus threats (not
that these have them). They are also 650 kb to 2M.

Can I have send a link to a hidden location that "expires" after a
period of time? Or set up a script that assigns a password automatically
on payment to login to a private area?

 

[newb_bee]

<?
// do validation here
....
// output the header here using Header()
....

// output the ebook data here (and download will be started if you outputted
correct header previously)
readfile('ebook1.pdf');
?>

Regards,
Elias

Elias,
thanks, looks good ... except I really AM a newbie, would you be
willing to flesh this out some for me? Or point me to where I can find
out how to put in all the variables?
Cheers,
Sandra

 

[matty]

newb_bee wrote:

Elias,
thanks, looks good ... except I really AM a newbie, would you be
willing to flesh this out some for me? Or point me to where I can find
out how to put in all the variables?
Cheers,
Sandra

I don't mean to sound nasty, but since you're doing this as a part of a
business, do you expect people to write it for free for you?

 

[gregm]

: <I am selling downloadable ebooks>
: What are my _best_ options for getting paid for my products before the
: purchaser gets sent to the page?

Don't write it until they've paid you.

-Greg

 

[Laurent Bugnion, GalaSoft]

Hi,

Don't you have the same problem with a downloadable file?

I can see why the user could prefer to receive the file as a
downloadable EXE rather than as attachment of an email. I am not so much
afraid of virus, having a good protection, but the size of the
attachment is rather a problem to me. I prefer to download such things
from the web rather than with my emails.

With serverside scripting as PHP you could maybe assign the transaction a
random session value, open the file and save it as a copy with the random
value as filename, and then provide the link to that file for download. Make
sure you delete it afterwards. I'm sure it would be a nice challenge to
develop this application.

I don't know PHP, but it wouldn't be a big challenge in ASP.

Laurent

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Hello,

Afaik, you can use serverside scripting such as PHP, as:

<?
// do validation here
....
// output the header here using Header()
....

Use the correct content-type here in the header, or the browser will get
confused.
Look at "mime_content_type" for detecting mime types on random files, or if
you have a set file format you know in advance...

Quoting PHP 4.3.0 manual: ( HTTP Functions / header ):

<?php
// We'll be outputting a PDF
header("Content-type: application/pdf");

// It will be called downloaded.pdf
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=downloaded.pdf");

// The PDF source is in original.pdf
readfile('original.pdf');
?>

for example for pdf (as in example below)

Remember, readfile() reads a file and prints to the output buffer (i.e. your
browser)

// output the ebook data here (and download will be started if you outputted
correct header previously)
readfile('ebook1.pdf');

If possible, try to store the pdf outside your servers document root, this
will prevent people trying to guess the url and dl directly

Thanks,
Mark