These instructions mainly apply to these encrypted products that replace earlier products where the whole-document PDF contained a "print until" watermark, and the archive containing the PDF file required a password for it to be opened.
 
Those documents which the Federation does not seek to ensure authenticity, for example main general documents on best practice, are supplied as unencrypted PDF files with a simple password for them to be opened using the Adobe Acrobat Reader or browser plugin..

1. Contracts and Agreements
 
FIDIC contracts generally come in two parts: General Conditions that apply to all contracts and must thus be used unchanged; special clauses are introduced in the second part called the Particular Conditions.
 
The viewed and printed pages of the PDF versions of contracts contain a seal specifying that the PDF version is a regulated version of the printed document that has been supplied by FIDIC to a specified customer. In the case of "whole-document" PDFs, printing must be within a specified length of time (generally 180 days) for a specified number of pages (generally 10 times the total number of pages in a document), subject to the conditions laid down in a Users Agreement.
 
Meanwhile, those parts of a Conditions of Contract that are designed to be adapted by a customer for a particular project are also supplied in formats from which text can be copied (unencrypted PDF file) or the file itself edited (wordprocessor formats). The "part-document" PDF can be browsed and printed without restriction, and text copied from the file.
 
The word-processible part documents often include the forms and other text that is used to prepare a document.
 
This configuration ensures that:

• General Conditions printed by a customer on behalf of a client represent unaltered, authentic, versions of the Conditions;
• A customer has the flexibility to adapt or draw up Particular Conditions and similar Parts, and to make use of prepared forms.

• multiple copies of a contract for a single project over a limited period of time;
• an online version that can be browsed and searched at any time;
• editable online versions of those parts of Contracts (e.g., Particular Conditions) that are tailored for use on a particular project.

• Contracts and Agreements Collection (see the CD's product.txt product list)
• Environment and Sustainability Collection with the industrial and urban EMS Kits, handbooks and guides, and Project Sustainabity management materials.
• Quality and Integrity Management Collection comprising a guide, guidelines and training kit.
• Guide to Practice Collection, comprising FIDIC's best practice and general documents.

Also supplied is a compilation of all Collections (The FIDIC CD). The Collections and the FIDIC Compilation are summarised on a Collections web page. 
 
Various editions of the Collections are available depending on the access rights. Special Editions have watermarked files and contain  unencrypted PDFs. All others contain FileOpen encrypted PDFs for which the present instructions apply.
 
4. Product types
 
4.1. Electronic products
 
Encrypted whole-document PDF files are supplied in directories on CD/DVD or diskette, or in product archives received by email or on downloading, can be ordered online at the FIDIC Bookshop on the FIDIC website (www.fidic.org/bookshop). 
 
The purchase of a product archive (delivered by download/email archive) or a product directory (delivered on CD/DVD//diskette) is accompanied by the right to obtain an Authorization String to install the FileOpen-encrypted whole-document PDF file. 
 
4.1. Authorization Strings
 
Customers can also purchase an Authorization String. In this case, the customer will generally have:

• received a FIDIC Collection containing product directories, each with a FileOpen-encrypted PDF file that must be installed;
• received a product directory and want to reset access rights to the encrypted whole-document PDF files or establish rights on a client machine.

• immediately by credit card
• later by credit card
• on receipt of invoice upon receipt;

• Special Edition: whole documents PDF files are unencrypted, but watermarked for the exclusive use by a customer for 12 months;
• Business Edition: the customer copies a product directory onto a hard disk, and an Authorization String must be purchased to install the whole-document PDF file found in each product directory.
• Enterprise Edition, a single Authorization String opens all whole-document PDF files, with full access granted for one year for 1 or 5 installations different installations. There is also a browse-only version.

Once an order has been processed a customer will be sent a message giving an Order Code. Once payment has been cleared, or the FIDIC Bookshop is satisfied that payment will be made promptly on receipt of an invoice, the Bookshop authorises the download, or sends the electronic archive or collection  (on CD/DVD or by email) and advises the customer that this is the case. 
 
For downloads, the customer uses the Order Code to enter the download area (one submits the code in the entry box on the Bookshop homepage). The customer is authorised to make only one successful download.
 
Once the customer has successfully received a product archive or directory, the Bookshop will automatically allow an Authorization String to be issued to the customer. This string is obtained by submitting an Input String to the Bookshop during installation of the FileOpen-encrypted whole-document PDF file. The string can be submitted both online and offline.
 
6.2.Authorization String
 
A customer can purchase an Authorization String to install the FileOpen-encrypted PDF file both online and offline. For example, a customer may copy a product directory for a FIDIC CD/DVD to a hard disk and then click on the encrypted whole-docuemnt PDF to launch the FileOpen installer. The installer window gives an input string, which is communicated either online or offline to the Bookshop to obtain an Authorization String.
 
If the string has already been purchased, the customer will enter an Order Code. otherwise, the customer must make payment.
 
7. Contents of archives
 
7.1 Contracts
 
The electronic component for a particular Conditions of Contract (e.g., the Construction Contract First Edition for Works of Civil Engineering designed by the Engineer) comprises:

• General Conditions: Section "a"
• Notes for Guidance: Section "b"
• Forms: Section "c"

• "abc" (i.e., whole document): FileOpen-encrypted PDF file that must be installed by the customer. It is supplied as an. exe file that is installed and during installation the customer obtains an Authorization String from the Bookshop allowing installation to proceed to completion. The installer self-destructs after the installation is complete, and the installed PDF is limited to viewing for 180 days and printing of 10 times the number of pages in the document. Each page contains a FIDIC seal as a watermark.
• "bc" part-document PDF file that can be printed and text copied without limit up until the expiry date of the "abc" file.
• forms "f" taken from "a", "b" and "c" that are supplied in editable word processor formats that can be edited and printed without restriction up until the expiry date of the "abc" file.
• Some documents have four parts, and are labelled "a-d", with "a" for the General Condition, and "bcd" for the remainder.

• a single, whole document, PDF file which is supplied as a FileOpen-encrypted .exe installable PDF file. As before, this PDF file, once installed can be viewed for 180 days and printed 10 times the number of pages in the document. 
• editable parts of the Agreement (e.g., the Agreement, Conditions of Particular Application and Appendices ) as editable word processing files.

• a single, whole document PDF file which is supplied as a FileOpen-encrypted .exe installable whole-document PDF file. As before, this PDF file, once installed can be viewed for 180 days and for printed 10 times the number of pages in the document. 

• a compressed archive downloaded or received by email from the website;
• an uncompressed product directory stored on a CD/DVD or diskette (CD and diskette costs an additional Euro 30.-)
• a compressed archive archive attached to an email message (emailing the archive costs an additional Euro 30.-).

• automatically by clicking on the "Connect Now and Order Online" button in the installer window. This launches a web browser and makes a connection to the FIDIC.org bookshop website. Code runs on the site and returns a webpage giving the Authorization String.
• manually by entering the Order Code to access the download page, where an input box is provided, or by telephone, faxing or emailing the Bookshop. Customers are only allowed to manually submit  three 9-character Input Strings on the website, so they are asked to ensure that they enter the correct string.

• Contracts and agreements:
  • whole document access controlled by FileOpen encryption: viewing for 180 days; printing of 10 times the total number of pages in the document; text cannot be copied and pasted.
  • part-documents: text can be copied and pasted from part-document PDF files without restriction while the whole-document is licenced for use; part-document files in word-procesing formats can be edited. 
• Other documents:
  • whole document access is controlled by FileOpen encryption: viewing unlimited; printing 10 times the total number of pages in the document; text can be copied and pasted.
  • part-documents: text can be copied and pasted from part-document PDF file/s without restriction while the whole-document is licenced for use; part-document file/s in word-procesing formats can be edited. 

• electronic archive by email costs an additional Euro 30.-;
• electronic directory on diskette or CD/DVD costs an additional Euro 30.-.
• Authorization String: no charge

• reset the rights to access a FileOpen-encrypted whole-document PDF file that is already installed on the same machine;
• allow a client machine to access a FileOpen-encrypted whole-document PDF stored on another machine (e.g., a server).