Patent ID: 8098549

Claim:
A reproduction method for reproducing information recorded on an information recording medium, wherein the information recording medium comprises: a data area for recording user data, and a defect management area for recording a defect list for managing a defect area existing in the data area, wherein the data area including a user area for recording the user data and a spare area having an area for recording the user data instead of a defect area existing in the user area, wherein the defect list includes: a header located at a fixed position in the defect list, one or more defect entries including position information on the defect areas, and an anchor; and the header, the one or more defect entries, and the anchor are located in this order in the defect list; wherein the header includes: a defect list identifier for identifying the defect list; first update times information representing the number of times which the defect list has been updated; and a defect entry number representing the number of the one or more defect entries, wherein the anchor includes: an anchor identifier for identifying the anchor of the defect list, and second update times information representing the number of times which the defect list has been updated, and wherein: the reproduction method is a method for reproducing the defect list recorded on the defect management area, and the reproduction method comprising the steps of: (a) calculating a anchor position which is a expected location of the anchor in the defect list by using the defect entry number included in the header, and (b) obtaining information expected to be the anchor from the calculated anchor position and determining whether or not said obtained information is the anchor by using the anchor identifier.