Recording medium for storing write protection information and write protection method thereof

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, wherein data recorded on a recordable and/or reproducible recording medium including a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area and a user data area is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing, the method comprising:

• checking write protection information stored on the recording medium;
• prohibiting writing of data on the recording medium according to a matching of at least two write protection information, read without error from the recording medium, stored on the recording medium at the same time;
• determining whether the write protection information is hard write protection information;
• and
• prohibiting writing of data on the entire recording medium if the write protection information is the hard write protection information, and otherwise allowing the writing of the data in only the user data area.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, wherein data recorded on a recordable and/or reproducible recording medium including a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area and a user data area is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing, the method comprising:

• checking write protection information stored on the recording medium;
• prohibiting writing of data on the recording medium according to the write protection information;
• checking a write protection state set in the recording medium using the write protection information;
• and
• updating the write protection information stored in the recording medium to the write protection state or a write protection release state according to the write protection information set by a user, such that if the user sets the write protection state, the write protection information is updated to the write protection state, and if the user sets the write protection release state, it is determined whether the recording medium is set to a hard write protection state, and if the recording medium is set to the hard write protection state, the user is informed that a releasing of the write protection is impossible, and otherwise the write protection information is updated to the write protection release state.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, wherein data recorded on a recordable and/or reproducible recording medium including a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area and a user data area is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing, the method comprising:

• checking write protection information stored on the recording medium;
• and
• prohibiting writing of data on the recording medium according to the write protection information,
• wherein the write protection information is stored, at the same time, in disc identification zones of at least one of the Lead-in area and the Lead-out area of the recording medium, the write protection information is stored in a plurality of physically separate locations of each of the at least one disc identification zone, and a write protection state of the write protection information is set according to a matching of at least two write protection information, read without error from the recording medium.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, wherein data recorded on a recordable and/or reproducible recording medium including a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area and a user data area is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing, the method comprising:

• checking write protection information stored on the recording medium;
• and
• prohibiting writing of data on the recording medium according to the write protection information,
• wherein the write protection information is stored in at least one of a defect management area of the Lead-in area and the defect management area of the Lead-out area of the recording medium.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus which records and/or reproduces data on/from a recording medium positioned in a case of a cartridge, wherein the recording medium includes a user data area to store the data and write protection information indicative of whether to prevent writing of new data on the recording medium, and the case has a write inhibit hole for write protection, the method comprising:

• determining whether a write protection state of the write protection information matches the write protection state of the write inhibit hole;
• preventing writing of the new data on the recording medium if the write protection information or the write inhibit hole indicates the write protection state to be that of preventing the writing of the new data on the recording medium;
• determining whether the write protection information is set to a write protection state;
• determining whether the write protection information is- set for a hard write protection state indicating that the write protection state can not be restored to a rewritable state, if the write protection information is set to the write protection state;
• preventing writing of the new data on the entire recording medium if the write protection information is set for the hard write protection and preventing writing of the new data only in the user data area if the write protection information is not set for the hard write protection;
• and
• enabling writing of the new data on any location of the recording medium if the write protection information is not set to the write protection state.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus which records and/or reproduces data on/from a recording medium positioned in a case of a cartridge, wherein the recording medium includes a user data area to store the data and write protection information indicative of whether to prevent writing of new data on the recording medium, and the case has a write inhibit hole for write protection, wherein the write protection information is stored in a disc certification flag and a group certification flag of the recording medium, the method comprising:

• determining whether a write protection state of the write protection information matches the write protection state of the write inhibit hole;
• preventing writing of the new data on the recording medium if the write protection information or the write inhibit hole indicates the write protection state to be that of preventing the writing of the new data on the recording medium;
• determining whether the write protection information of the disc certification flag is set to a write protection state;
• determining whether the write protection information of the disc certification flag is set for a hard write protection state indicating that the write protection state can not be restored to a rewritable state, if the write protection information of the disc certification flag is set to the write protection state;
• preventing writing of the new data on the entire recording medium if the write protection information of the disc certification flag is set for the hard write protection and preventing writing of the new data only in the user data area if the write protection information of the disc certification flag is not set for the hard write protection;
• determining whether the write protection information of the group certification flag is set to the write protection state;
• and
• enabling writing of the new data on any location of the recording medium if the write protection information of the group certification flag is not set to the write protection state and preventing writing of the new data in the write protected group of the group certification flag if the write protection information of the group certification flag is set to the write protection state.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus which records and/or reproduces data on/from a recording medium positioned in a case of a cartridge, wherein the recording medium includes a user data area to store the data and write protection information indicative of whether to prevent writing of new data on the recording medium, and the case has a write inhibit hole for write protection, the method comprising:

• determining whether a user inputs new write protection information to optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus;
• determining whether the new write protection information is set for a write protection state;
• setting the write protection information on the recording medium to the write protection state of the new write protection information if the new write protection information is set to the write protection state;
• determining whether the new write protection information is set to a write protection release state if the new write protection information is not set to the write protection state;
• determining whether the write protection information stored on the recording medium is set to a hard write protection state indicating that the write protection state can not be restored to a rewritable state, if the write protection information stored on the recording medium is set to the hard protection state;
• and
• changing the write protection information stored on the recording medium to the rewritable state if the write protection information is not set to the hard write protection state, and informing the user that the write protection state of the write protection information cannot be released if the write protection information is set to the hard write protection state.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, wherein data recorded on a recordable and/or reproducible recording medium including a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area and a user data area is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing, the method comprising:

• checking write protection information stored, at the same time, in a defect management area of the recording medium;
• and
• prohibiting writing of data on the recording medium according to the write protection information,
• wherein a write protection state of the write protection information is determined according to at least two write protection information, read without error from the recording medium, matching.

A write protection method for an optical disc recording an/or reproducing apparatus, wherein data recorded on a recordable and/or reproducible recording medium including a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area, and a user data area is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing, the method comprising:

• checking write protection information stored, at the same time, in the recording medium;
• and
• prohibiting writing of data on the recording medium according to the write protection information,
• wherein the recording medium stores the write protection information to protect the data recorded on the recording medium from unwanted overwriting or erasing, with the write protection information being stored redundantly in a plurality of locations in the Lead-in area of the recording medium, and a write protection state of the redundantly stored write protection information being determined according to at least two write protection information, read without error from the recording medium, matching.