Information recording medium, apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from information recording medium, method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from information recording medium, and computer-readable recording medium storing program for executing the method

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

• a reading and/or writing unit configured to write and/or read the data with regard to the information recording medium comprising:
• a user data area;
• and
• a lead-in area, the lead-in area comprising a compatibility information area and a defect management area separate from the compatibility information area, the a compatibility information area being configured to store compatibility information enabling basic recording and/or reproducing functions to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus not compatible with the information recording medium when the recording and/or reproducing apparatus records and/or reproduces data on and/or from the information recording medium, the compatibility information enabling the basic recording and/or reproducing functions specifying whether each of a plurality of areas on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, the defect management area (DMA) being configured to store information on defects occurring in the user data area, and a disc definition structure comprising write protection information indicating whether a recordable area on the information recording medium is write protected;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the reading and/or writing unit to write and/or read the data on and/or from the information recording medium with reference to the compatibility information,
• wherein even if the compatibility information read from the compatibility information area indicates that at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is write protected in a case where the write protection information in the disc definition structure read from the defect management area indicates that recording data on the information recording medium is prohibited,
• wherein the plurality of areas of the information recording medium comprises the user data area, the defect management area, and the compatibility information area, and
• wherein if the compatibility information read from the compatibility information area indicates that at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is not write protected in a case where the write protection information in the disc definition structure read from the defect management area indicates that recording data on the information recording medium is not prohibited.

An information recording medium, comprising:

• a user data area;
• and
• a lead-in area, comprising:
• a compatibility information area;
• and
• a defect management area separate from the compatibility information area,
• wherein the compatibility information area is configured to store compatibility information, the compatibility information enabling basic recording and/or reproducing functions to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus not compatible with the information recording medium when the recording and/or reproducing apparatus records and/or reproduces data on and/or from the information recording medium, the compatibility information enabling the basic recording and/or reproducing functions specifying whether each of a plurality of areas on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, and
• wherein the defect management area is configured to store information on defects occurring in the user data area, and a disc definition structure comprising write protection information indicating whether the predetermined area on the information recording medium is recordable or not,
• wherein even if the compatibility information read from the compatibility information area indicates that at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is write protected in a case where information on a write inhibit hole of a cartridge in which the information recording medium is contained, or the write protection flag information in the disc definition structure recorded on the defect management area indicate that recording data on the information recording medium is prohibited,
• wherein the plurality of areas of the information recording medium comprises the user data area, the defect management area, and the compatibility information area, and
• wherein if the compatibility information read from the compatibility information area indicates that at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is not write protected in a case where the write protection flag information in the disc definition structure recorded on the defect management area indicates that recording data on the information recording medium and where the information on the write inhibit hole of the cartridge in which the information recording medium is contained is not prohibited.