Patent ID: 7852600

Claim:
An apparatus for reading out data recorded on a tape medium with a read head, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a request for reading out first data from the tape medium on which the first data and second data are recorded in different formats; a detecting unit for detecting, in response to the receiving unit's reception of the request, whether the read head and the first and second data recorded on the tape medium are in a specific positional relationship in which existence of the first data is recognizable but the first data is not readable; and a moving unit for moving, if the detecting unit detects that the read head and the first and second data are in the specific positional relationship, the read head toward a position where the second data is recorded so that reading of the second data is skipped while existence of the second data is recognizable and the first data is read out after the existence of the first data becomes recognizable.