DLI Mandarin, Cantonese courses

Discussion about studying Standard Chinese using the FSI course.
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DLI Mandarin, Cantonese courses

Postby daristani on November 27th, 2009, 11:17 am

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Re: DLI Mandarin, Cantonese courses

Postby Turnoi on September 18th, 2010, 5:28 am

The first group of download links must refer to some material that I do not know. It is labelled as "elementary".

The second group - the links leading to download links for the flamric course materials - is labelled as "intermediate".

Now, concerning the latter, I think it is also suitable for beginners - it contains Chinese Reader which is aimed at beginners and some other additional materials. It also covers the basics of the Chinese script.

So far, so good, and thank you for making it available; I am downloading it right now.

But let me ask you a more critical question: For "Chinese Reader2, are you sure that it is non-copyrighted material that is available for free use and distribution? As far as I know, "Chinese Reader" is copyright with the original publisher in Mainland China.....
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Re: DLI Mandarin, Cantonese courses

Postby Oberon on September 18th, 2010, 9:31 am

I can only speak for the situation in the US.

At the time the FLAMRIC courses were written, the US only protected foreign works that contained a copyright notification as required under the Universal Copyright Convention. Thus the Chinese Reader work, lacking notification, could be freely used. After the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) in 1995, all works such as this had there copyrights restored.

The mandarin_supplements.zip file contains training manuals produced by the People's Liberation Army Soldiers Press and would also fall under the URAA.

Given the extent of the material used, a fair-use argument would be very weak.

Edit-
There is a remote possibility the Chinese Reader text is in the public domain, at least in the US. According to the Berne Convention Article 3, simultaneous publication occurs if the work is first published (available for purchase or loan and with the author's permission) within 30 days of the first publication anywhere. Given that this 1972 work was targeted to English speaking students of Chinese, it is possible that the work was available in the US within 30 days of publication in China (or anywhere else). Since the work does not contain a copyright notice (I checked a library copy), it would be in the US public domain. Note: Thawing of relations between the US and China hit an important milestone in February 1972 when Richard Nixon made his trip to China. It is also possible that the door was cracked open for literature exchanges. Proving simultaneous publication would be very difficult...
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