I’m curious whether anyone has created a plugin that allows access to Omeka item(s)/file(s) for a defined timeframe. I’m picturing something similar to library e-book checkouts. Permission to download would be granted for a period of time, after which permissions automatically revert to the default restricted state. Could be as simple as displaying a download link in an Omeka item for a “checkout” period.
This runs into the same difficulty as the simple case of just preventing downloads – the server generally has access to the files, which makes them downloadable. Various efforts at an embargo plugin or similar have been discussed in the forums, but I don’t remember if a working example of one of those is available.
What you describe would add the complication of starting with that, then adding the timeframe. Since most efforts at embargo have focused on the .htaccess file, this seems pretty complicated, and I’m not sure is possible.
Checkouts of downloadable files are particularly tough. Sure, you can close off the download link after some period, but anybody who visited during that time now has a copy.
The only way I’m aware of that you can try to avoid this is DRM/encryption, as in your library e-book example, and I doubt you want to go down that road.
Thanks guys. These are good points.
I’m going to check in with my collaborators for more clarification about the problem(s) that need to be solved. My hunch is that the embargo/check-out solution is overkill.
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