Patent ID: 7477484

Claim:
A tape cartridge write protect mechanism for a user to select a write protect state of the tape media enclosed in the tape cartridge, the tape cartridge having a housing comprising a cover, a base, and a write protect aperture formed in a first side of the tape cartridge hausing, the mechanism comprising: an opening in a second side of the tape cartridge housing perpendicular to the write protect aperture, the opening having sides that extend partially into the tape cartridge housing; a movable member for selecting between a write enabled position and a write protect position by the user, wherein the movable member is movable by the user through the opening and located on the interior of the tape cartridge housing such that a top end is located proximal to the tape cartridge cover; a blocking element for the write protect aperture, wherein the blocking element is integrally connected to the movable member, wherein the blocking element correspondingly moves to block the write protect aperture in response to the movable member being moved to the write enable position; and at least two human readable icons integrally formed on the movable member, one of the at least two human readable icons denoting a write enable state and the other one of the at least two human readable icons denoting a write protect state, wherein the one of the at least two human readable icons is viewable by the user corresponding to the movable member being moved to one of the write enable position or the write protect position, wherein each of the at least two human readable icons is a different color.