Patent ID: 7382704

Claim:
An information recording method for recording information on an information recording medium, wherein the information recording medium includes: a data area for recording user data; and a defect management area for recording a defect list for managing N number of defect areas existing in the data area, where N is an integer number satisfying N≧0, wherein the defect list includes: a header located at a fixed position in the defect list; N number of defect entries, each of which includes position information on the respective positions of the N number of defect areas; and an anchor, the header includes: a defect list identifier for identifying the defect list; first update times information which represents update times of the defect list; and the number N for the defect entires, and the anchor includes: an anchor identifier for identifying the anchor of the defect list; and second update times information which represents update times of the defect list, the method including a step that records the defect list in the defect management area, in which both of the first and second update times information represent zero, and in which the header, the N number of defect entries and the anchor are located in this order, if no information is recorded in the defect management area included in the information recording medium.