Sell digital downloads with expiration date

Hi,

I'm not sure if you mean that the download link should be available for a period of time after the purchase, and not after, or if you mean that the file should not be readable after a period of time.

If it's the first choice, then in the HikaShop configuration, you have a "Download time limit" setting for that and the if you set for example 1 month in it, then the downloads will be available for 1 month after the purchase and then the download links won't be provided and won't work anymore.

If it's the second choice, then you have three ways to go about it:
1. If the date is fixed for the PDF (for example, whether I purchase the PDF tomorrow or in 1 month, I want it to not be readable after the 1st of january 2021), then you can edit the PDF and add that : kbpdfstudio.qoppa.com/set-expiration-dates-to-pdf-documents/
Then you can just sell your PDF files normally.
2.a If the date is dynamic (for example, the PDF file can be read for 1 month after the purchase, and after that, it can't be opened anymore), then you can use HikaSerial (subscription?) + a DRM platform and develop a plugin to integrate with the API of the DRM platform. In that case, each time the file is being opened, the software will contact the DRM platform, which will check the access and allow or not the file to be opened. (that's quite a costly system to put in place, but it can be needed in some rare cases).
2.b If the date is dynamic, and supposing that you're ok with the text being read directly on your website, you could have your content accessible only for specific user groups ( either with Joomla articles, a third party component, or even some PDF reader extension ), and then use HikaSerial Subscriptions to add the user to the corresponding user group upon purchase, and remove it from the user group after the end of the subscription period (without allowing for renewal of the subscription).

The solutions I propose are the only ones available for doing what you want, regardless of the ecommerce solution, as far as I know.
Options 1 and 2.b should be quite easy to setup with HikaShop. Option 2.a will require a developer to work on that for at least a couple of days once you find the DRM platform you want to work with.