PMI has posted a secured version of the 4th Edition PMBOK Guide on www.pmi.org to replace previous online versions and correct issues with downloading.

PMI has been committed to providing complimentary member access to the current version of the PMBOK® Guide from the time it was released as a Project Management Quarterly Special Report entitled Ethics, Standards, and Accreditation, in printed form, in August 1983. This members-only access is unique among standards-setting organizations.

Early in the year, a significant number of members had difficulty accessing the new update of the PMBOK® Guide—Fourth Edition due to differences in worldwide computer systems. As a temporary measure, the PMBOK® Guide was made printable and viewable online while the download problems were being analyzed and alternative solutions tested. On 14 May, PMI implemented a secured solution that allows the Institute to make the complimentary copy of the PMBOK® Guide available to members as easily as possible, while protecting the Institute's intellectual property.

When you download or print the PMBOK® Guide from PMI.org, it is marked with your username and member ID, and it is secured with your PMI.org password. This means the file is licensed to you for your personal use only. If you print the file, it will be identified with a notice that says, "Licensed to (first name, last name, PMI member ID). This copy is a PMI Member Benefit, not for distribution, sale or reproduction." The file is easily opened during and after download using your PMI.org password.