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--- a/utils/pdfunite.cc
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+++ b/utils/pdfunite.cc
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@@ -165,7 +165,9 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
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   for (i = 1; i < argc - 1; i++) {
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     GooString *gfileName = new GooString(argv[i]);
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     PDFDoc *doc = new PDFDoc(gfileName, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr);
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-    if (doc->isOk() && !doc->isEncrypted()) {
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+    if (doc->isOk() && !doc->isEncrypted() &&
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+        (doc->getCatalog()->getPageRef(1) || gTrue) &&
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+        doc->getXRef()->getCatalog().isDict()) {
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       docs.push_back(doc);
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       if (doc->getPDFMajorVersion() > majorVersion) {
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         majorVersion = doc->getPDFMajorVersion();
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@@ -176,8 +177,13 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
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         }
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       }
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     } else if (doc->isOk()) {
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-      error(errUnimplemented, -1, "Could not merge encrypted files ('{0:s}')", argv[i]);
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-      return -1;
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+      if (doc->isEncrypted()) {
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+        error(errUnimplemented, -1, "Could not merge encrypted files ('{0:s}')", argv[i]);
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+        return -1;
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+      } else if (!doc->getXRef()->getCatalog().isDict()) {
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+        error(errSyntaxError, -1, "XRef's Catalog is not a dictionary ('{0:s}')", argv[i]);
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+        return -1;
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+      }
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     } else {
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       error(errSyntaxError, -1, "Could not merge damaged documents ('{0:s}')", argv[i]);
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       return -1;