Patent ID: 7746737

Claim:
A method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium comprising a compatibility information area to store information for performing a predetermined function, and compatibility information for the recording and/or reproducing apparatus which does not recognize the predetermined function, the compatibility information comprising information regarding basic recording and/or reproducing function specifying whether each area of a plurality of areas on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, the method comprising: reading the compatibility information comprising information specifying whether a user data area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, information specifying whether a defect management area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, and information specifying whether the compatibility information area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible; and recording and/or reproducing the data on and/or from the information recording medium with reference to the compatibility information, wherein each of the plurality of areas of the information recording medium is write protected, in a case at least one of a write protection flag and the compatibility information indicates that recording data on the information recording medium is prohibited, the write protection flag being arranged in the information recording medium.