Patent ID: 7733754

Claim:
A method for writing a label to an optical disc, the optical disc having a data surface for storing information and an opposing label surface for accepting a label, the method comprising: inserting the optical disc into an optical disc drive in a label orientation having a laser of the optical drive positioned to write to the label surface; aligning the laser over a transparent region of the optical disc, the transparent region covering a data surface; reading identification information with the laser, the identification information coded on the data surface as a bar code for identifying the type of optical medium and read through the transparent region; determining from the identification information that the optical disc drive is authorized to write a label to the label surface with the laser; writing the label to the label surface with the laser if authorized; determining that the authorization of the identification information is cannot be identified; reinserting the optical disc in the optical disc drive in a storage orientation having the laser of the optical drive positioned to read from the data surface; reading the identification information and authorization information from the optical disc to determine the label authorization of the optical disc; storing an authorization associated with the identification information; and reinserting the optical disc in the optical disc drive in the label orientation.