Patent ID: 8059522

Claim:
A recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising: a writing/reading unit configured to record data on an information storage medium comprising a plurality of recording layers or to read the data from the information storage medium; and a control unit configured to flexibly allocate a first data area according to a capacity of data to be recorded on the information storage medium, a first flexible dedicated area part according to the allocated first data area and a first fixed dedicated area part to a first recording layer of the information storage medium, flexibly allocating a second data area according to the capacity of the data to be recorded on the information storage medium, a second flexible dedicated area part according to the allocated second data area and a second fixed dedicated area part to a second recording layer of the information storage medium, and controlling the writing/reading unit to record the data on the information storage medium or read the data from the information storage medium, wherein the first fixed dedicated area part comprises a first dedicated area and the second fixed dedicated area part comprises a second dedicated area, wherein no data is recorded in a first corresponding area of the second recording layer, which corresponds to the first dedicated area, and in a second corresponding area of the first recording layer, which corresponds to the second dedicated area, wherein the second fixed dedicated area part further comprises a third dedicated area, and data is recorded in a third corresponding area of the first recording layer, which corresponds to the third dedicated area, before the third dedicated area is used, and wherein an end position of the third dedicated area is flexible.