This is a workaround to a bug in Apple’s PDF kit. After a document is OCR’d we will attempt to transfer any annotations or attributes from the original document to the OCR’d document. For certain documents this is not possible as a PDF kit bug would cause the text layer in the PDF to be corrupted.
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Having struggled for a while with a PDF I couldn’t highlight in DTPro 4(b3), I just want to document here what worked for me in the end. The file was not encrypted, had all permissions enabled, and had a text layer—kind PDF+Text. It turned out it was locked.
- I opened the PDF in MacOS Preview app from within DTPro (⌘⇧O).
- I attempted to highlight a passage using Preview’s highlighting tool.
- An error message popped up saying the file was locked, but offering the option to unlock it. I accepted unlocking it.
- The PDF can now be highlighted in DTPro, and the highlights show up in the Document > Annotations inspector.
Did it actually say it was locked or did it save it couldn’t be saved but you could save a copy?
It definitely said it was locked and couldn’t be saved but that it could save a copy. Apparently DTPro then automatically worked with that copy.
- Was it in the Global Inbox?
- Where did you save the copy to?
No, it was not in a Global Inbox, but rather in a regular database. (It went by quickly, I’m afraid, as I didn’t realize I was watching the solution, but) I believe I did not save anywhere but simply hit the Okay button. I think it over-saved the document in DTPro.
I can try to re-download the file and reproduce it more slowly if that’s useful.
No worries!
If it’s publicly accessible, you can just post the link.
I reproduced it. Here is the text from the dialogue box in Apple Preview:
The file “Deriving-example.pdf”
is locked.
If you want to make changes to this
document, click Unlock. To keep the file
unchanged and work with a copy, click
Duplicate.
- Unlock
- Duplicate
- Cancel
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Rats! I thought this would help with my issue, but it doesn’t. I have a PDF that I have marked up before in DT, but now is claiming to be locked. But I can open it in preview (through DT - command shift O) and can highlight things and save the file, go back to DT and it shows those new highlights, but the file still has the little locked symbol, and I can definitely not highlight it in DT.
I’m sure it is corrupted, or formatted oddly, because it is a dissertation from ProQuest and I’ve already had two of them that were corrupted. Still, if it works in preview, it seems like it should work in DT.
Willy don’t you just unlock it?
Do you have a support ticket open on this?
I don’t know how to unlock it (or do I? does it involve the hidden settings?)
I don’t have a support ticket for two reasons: (a) I’m on vacation and am only “working” about one hour a week - that would be this hour that I’m in right now 
and (b) it isn’t that big a deal - I’m sure it is the pdf’s fault, not DT’s, and I’m fine with going to preview to highlight it.
Enjoy your vacation! 
Did you check the integrated help and user manual for that?