Protection against data overwrite of a rewritable non-WORM data storage cartridge is provided by a data storage drive operating cartridge data overwrite protection procedures independent of, or not withstanding, the absence of cartridge controls relating to data overwrite protection. Also for the non-WORM cartridge, the drive responds to an allow data overwrite command to allow an immediately subsequent write type command to write to the cartridge even if the write command overwrites existing data. The overwrite protection procedures and data overwrite procedures may be configured and enabled for the data storage drive.