Regulatory Open Forum

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

Try uploading the file to google drive. It can break any security feature and then allow you to resave as a PDF that allows you to copy, recognize text, etc.

------------------------------
Joseph De Croos PhD
ISO/Regulatory Compliance Administrator
Kitchener ON
Canada
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

When you say guidance documents, what do you mean? FDA Guidance documents? Or documents that need to be submitted to FDA?

Here's a tool though that can unlock a PDF and there are others if you search for PDF unlock: https://www.sodapdf.com/unlock-pdf/

However, be careful and be careful what you click on these sites.
Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

From my experience, if you scan the printed copy of that locked PDF file, the Adobe OCR will work on it.
You may want to scan the document at a higher resolution though, depending on the quality of the text on the locked PDF file.

------------------------------
Sorin Alb RAC
Project Manager, Regulatory Affairs
Scarborough ON
Canada
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 19-Mar-2020 08:07
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

When you say guidance documents, what do you mean? FDA Guidance documents? Or documents that need to be submitted to FDA?

Here's a tool though that can unlock a PDF and there are others if you search for PDF unlock: https://www.sodapdf.com/unlock-pdf/

However, be careful and be careful what you click on these sites.
Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

Hi

I have had troubles in trying to create combined pdf documents where locked documents such as signed 1571 or digitally signed cover letter etc cannot be combined with other PDFs - besides the scan suggestion (thank you!) is there anything else you've found works to modify the locked pdf that makes it so that adobe will add it to a combined pdf?


------------------------------
Susie Corl, MPH, CIP, CCRP, CHRC
Regulatory Affairs/Compliance
Woburn, MA
USA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

Uploading to Google Drive and then downloading to a local drive gets around locked documents. Then you can combine the docs. I've done that before.

------------------------------
Joseph De Croos PhD
ISO/Regulatory Compliance Administrator
Kitchener ON
Canada
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 20-Mar-2020 07:00
From: Susan Corl
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hi

I have had troubles in trying to create combined pdf documents where locked documents such as signed 1571 or digitally signed cover letter etc cannot be combined with other PDFs - besides the scan suggestion (thank you!) is there anything else you've found works to modify the locked pdf that makes it so that adobe will add it to a combined pdf?


------------------------------
Susie Corl, MPH, CIP, CCRP, CHRC
Regulatory Affairs/Compliance
Woburn, MA
USA

Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

Hello and thanks everyone for your comments - much appreciated.

The FDA Forms are:  3626, 3627, 3632 and 3628 - they cover x-ray and laser reports and each is security locked by FDA  thus preventing any copying.

• The only approach that has worked was to utilize the Soda conversion product - specifically the free product
  • The "pdf conversion" file for $24 ironically did not do this

From correspondence....  Officials have been unable to change the security feature so I am very grateful for the tip.

Thank You, Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop CQA, CSQE, CPGP, CQE, RAC
Sr. Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

Now that you said they were FDA documents, I would NOT try to crack them. FDA documents are typically fillable in Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Standard (I guess it is now called DC). FDA accepts Acrobat electronic signatures, once you've set it up.
Original Message:
Sent: 18-Mar-2020 13:25
From: Frank Pokrop
Subject: Locked pdf Document - How to copy? X-ray and laser systems

Hello - for both x-ray and laser initial and annual reports, the files, four guidance documents in total, have each been locked and they appear to be in a format that cannot be copied.....

• Using Adobe pro's OCR tool, it cannot be converted to "copiable" text........

Any suggestions on how to convert these documents?  Manually scan each page into an OCR scanner?

Thanks,

Frank Pokrop

------------------------------
Frank Pokrop, RAC
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Carlsbad CA
United States
------------------------------