Suitability of a recording medium for being recorded to and/or reproduced from by an apparatus is determined. Address information is read from a recording medium having at least a first area in which data is recordable, a second area, and a third area. The second area is followed by the first area which is followed by the third area. The address information includes first address information, which represents the position of the second area, and/or second address information which represents the position of the third area. A possible error in the address information is detected based on an error detection code generated for the address information. Whether the recording medium is suitable for being recorded to or reproduced from by the apparatus is determined based on a result of the detecting step. The recording medium is suitable when no error is detected and is unsuitable when an error is detected.