Converting password protected docx files

[brendan_gb]

I frequently receive password protected docx files while compiling confidential documents.
I remind people that Mac's office file confirter for docx files will not function if the files are password protected and that, therefore they should save as a doc file when password protecting.
Nevertheless people forget that they need to save as doc and the files arrive as password protected docx files.
Is there any simple solution from my side? I use Leopard and have updated my docx to doc file converter software on a regular basis (ps why don't THEY fix this already??)