Issue: 

How do we set read-only permissions for specific objects in drawings so that they can only be viewed but not edited?

Solution:

Click the menu Express → File Tools → Lock Up Drawing (LOCKUP command), follow the command prompts, select the objects that need to be locked, set a password, and lock the objects.

If you need to unlock it, use the menu Express → File Tools → Unlock Drawing (UNLOCK command).

Note: If you lock the viewport in layout, the objects in the viewport will not be locked. The objects need to be locked in model space.