Protecting a file

[icemancast]

I got information from another forum that you can protect a file by placing it outside of the www/ directory. i am doing a website when i need to protect a file and only make it accessible when someone pays for it (downloadable product). i do not have the option of placing it outside of the www/ directory with the host i am at. is there a way to protect the directory file with htaccess unless someone purchases it. let me know

[Vapp]

You can set up a password protected directory to contain your file. You send the login and paswd information only to the people that paid for the file.

Here is a tutorial on how to set password protection:

http://www.euronet.nl/~arnow/htpasswd/documentation.html

[edited by: jdMorgan at 2:15 pm (utc) on Dec. 18, 2007]
[edit reason] De-linked [/edit]

[icemancast]

now maybe this question should go under php... i don't know.

but what's to stop the link from being sent out? i know you can't stop someone from forwarding but a user name and pass that stays the same for every transaction isn't good either.

ideas?

[g1smd]

There are ways to make the filename change every day, or week, so any link would only be good for a short time.

[icemancast]

that is a good option. combined with above advice...