Highlighting certified/signed/verified documents

[AGGorski]

How do I highlight of bookmark certified/signed/verified pdfs (i.e., government public documents).  I am not changing anything.  I often need to review long regulatory documents downloaded from the government and for some reason I am no longer able to highlight or add notes.  Do I have to print it to make notations for my own purposes?  If I convert it to Word, I lose the benefits of bookmarking.  The toolbar no longer has any highlighting options.

[try67]

Adding bookmarks to a signed file is editing its internal structure (even though it doesn't seem that way), so it's not allowed no matter what. Adding comments, filling in form fields and signing it again are possible, but only if the first person who signed the document did not lock it. If they did, you won't be able to do those things, either.

[AGGorski]

Thanks.  It seems that is the end result.  It makes no sense that a reader cannot track thier notes/thoughts - not even by highlighting.   Why not have the software automatically note that post-verification highlighting or notes are not part of the original document.  I know that as a work around I can export to Word or even MS print to PDF (then recognize text) but if I need another document program to do simple notetaking and highlighting, why use Adobe?  

[try67]

> Why not have the software automatically note that post-verification highlighting or notes are not part of the original document. 

It does do that, actually, but only if those things are allowed in the first place. If the author decided to lock the document, then Adobe's software will respect (and enforce) their wishes. Your issue is really with them, not with the application.

[AGGorski]

Partially, yes.  Allowing the reader to highlight, bookmark and add notes on pages or important passages in the document is a basic function of any document reader.  I have no issue with a reader not allowing text changes, deletions or document reorganization, but it makes no sense that I cannot highlight or annotate my copy, just as I would if I read a printout of the same document or purchased a book.  Similarly, I should be able to add a bookmark within a long document to quickly access pages relevant to me.  Categorizing all of the tools that allow the reader to do so as "editing" makes no sense for the end reader.  No one willl mistake highlighting or inserted comments for actual content in a verified document.  The original decision on finalizing and verifying (or signing) the PDF should not dictate whether I can highlight or bookmark sections, pages or sentences important to my work.