--- Forwarded Message from Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 09:10:16 -0400
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum               <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5694 Cheng-Tsui Pricing

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Read Gilgen wrote: 

>Has anyone had dealings with Cheng-Tsui?  We have a new Chinese prof who
needs the tapes to accompany his text book ("Integrated Chinese" from
Cheng-Tsui).  We think the prices are outrageous.  For just the first
semester, the student cost for the four (4!) cassette tapes is $53.  Second
semester is only three tapes for $43.  And second year (two semesters) is
$83.  In other words, over two years of Chinese a student would be asked to
pay nearly $170 just for the tapes.
>
>OK, so we go to the language lab model and buy a set to be copied for
students.  They now want to charge a different language lab fee of $440 for
the same sets.

Not only that, but the pricey lab license will only allow you to make 6
copies for use in the labs. Full stop. After saying that that is ALL the
copying you get for your license fees, then they add that students may copy
2 chapters at a time "in accordance with your usual procedures." Problem:
the chapters are not on the original tapes 2 at a time. The workbook audio
is only about 3 minutes/chapter after the introductory lesson. Even making
masters with the material carefully divided up into 2 chapters per tape is a
nightmare. Second year is even better: the workbook lessons are not
announced in English. We have a second-year student who has been coming in
and listening to the workbook masters to help record 2 chapters only at a
time for take-home according to our usual procedures (i.e. we copy them for
students on request, as every other company allows us to do for workbook tapes).

Cheng & Tsui, not satisfied with selling workbooks to the students,  want to
sell the tapes as well, and some of our students are buying them rather than
have to sit in the lab to use the licensed copies, or take home a
questionable copy of the 2 chapters.

I thought I could solve the problem by digitizing the tapes (it's not so
hard to divide up the workbook lessons when you are looking at a waveform,
and you know that that bit and only that bit is being copies). I spent
several weeks off and on digitizing the material, encouraged by a Cheng &
Tsui editor who said they would give permission to deliver the audio online.
Well, when the contract came, they wanted ANOTHER $1000 for the rights for 2
years only and also they wanted a copy of my work. So now we have recordings
by the professor online, and Cheng and Tsui can keep selling their tapes to
students. Or they can offer to pay me $2000 for 2 years' rights to my work.


Judy Shoaf, irate on the subject
 University of Florida