How appropriate that the 2,000th entry in the ‘Insider’ section of the Lucire website would be devoted to something very important to the internet.
   On January 24, the US will vote on internet censorship, despite the opposition of the majority of American citizens, with the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in Congress.
   It’s little wonder that many Americans hold their Congress in such low esteem—when their Representatives do nothing that their title requires of them.
   It stifles the First Amendment: everyday Americans who are engaging in free speech who aren’t infringing copyright might still find their websites taken down.
   Ever film something innocently on your cellphone that has some music in the background? You could be found guilty, too—and face up to five years in prison.

Lawmakers don’t get it: the US joins Iran, China and North Korea
Why should a publication HQed in New Zealand care? It affects non-American websites, too, because it potentially blocks us from being seen by the American public. If you publish in English, there’s a fairly good chance the largest number of your readers will be American. If you have a site e-tailing products, you could well have a lot of US buyers.
   Already, New Zealand has seen amendments to our Copyright Act that have come thanks to pressure from American lobbyists. Amendments which already saw the most ridiculous debates in Parliament where one MP equated the internet to the fictional Skynet of the Terminator films. Amendments which our Prime Minister was against before he was for. In both major parties’ quest to appease foreign groups ahead of the voter, “guilt by accusation” is now part of New Zealand law.
   While President Obama has come out against the bills—though the White House’s words have been vague—this is no time to be complacent. The copyright amendments resurfaced in New Zealand in largely the same form. The bills have not gone away. Americans need to keep the pressure on their politicians to express how they all feel.
   Right now, American lawmakers want to put the entertainment lobby ahead of their own voters, by seeking to pass legislation that puts the US on the same playing-field as Iran, China and North Korea.

We believe in a fair go
We’re not against the idea of copyright, at least not the form that existed when we first started in the publishing business. In fact, we rely on copyright as our means of protecting our and our contributors’ authorship. But we are against this bill in the US.
   Copyright disputes should happen with due process. While we find ourselves on the side of the complainant in most cases, we believe that those who infringe copyright should have an opportunity to remove affected works, or offer an explanation. We believe in the common law right that there is a presumption of innocence. We believe in a world where people have a fair and equal access to justice.
   However, this bill goes further. A mere accusation of an infringing link posted by users can block a website to Americans.
   Lawmakers have defended the bill by saying it protects copyright, but it won’t. Those who still want to share copyrighted content will do so—simply by typing the IP address of the site into their browsers.
   The laws can remove any defence an innocent web publisher might have. Governments and corporations can potentially take down any website, creating new liabilities on the internet. As this is one of the areas of growth in many countries, the US included, it has the potential to harm economies.

Act now: it’s that important
You can read more here: it’s a simple guide to the proposed laws, explained far better than I could. The SOPA Strike website also has a good summary.
   We’re urging the 38 per cent of our readers in the US to stand up for your rights. Write to your local Representative or Senator, and let them know that you do not support these bills. If you use the internet, this will affect you. If you have never involved yourself in the passing of a bill before, this is important enough to warrant your attention for the first time.—Jack Yan, Publisher

Burberry Prorsum has put the outerwear and bags from its autumn–winter 2012–13 menswear range on sale at its website, right after showing it at Milano on January 14.
   The offer is limited: it will only be on sale for one week—till the 21st—for delivery in eight weeks.
   It is part of an internet-based push by the label, which live-streamed its collection at burberry.com and its Facebook page, and viewable on mobile devices including the Ipad.
   The show soundtrack by the Waterboys, the Jam and Jeff Beck is available for download through Itunes, while images were shared through Burberry’s Instagram account.
   YouTube and Google Plus content followed.
   Guests included British boxer Amir Khan, actors Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway, Giorgia Surina, and Eros Galbiati, British musician Dan Gillespie Sells (The Feeling), filmmaker Ali Mustafa, musician Murat Boz, Eliz Sakucoglu and Turkish broadcaster Burcu Esmersoy. Models Seb Brice, Johnny George and Thomas Penfound walked the runway.

Chanel has opened a temporary boutique at Courchevel in the French Alps for the winter. The 180 m² store features a minimalist décor with the odd flash of colour. It also has stunning views over the entire Courchevel valley.
   Chanel retails its fragrances, fine jewellery, watches, and the cruise 2011–12 and spring–summer 2012 collections at the store. The lounge has an Ipad where the visitor can browse a Chanel app featuring fashion shows and news.
   Meanwhile, LG has announced the New Zealand pricing for its Prada phone, at NZ$999. Only a few hundred units will be imported to New Zealand, and interested parties wanting to get one up on the now-ubiquitous Iphones are asked to call the company on 0508 547-322 to register their interest.
   Finally, emphasizing that luxury seems to be surviving the recession, Tommy Hilfiger will license its men’s and women’s catwalk collections beginning with the fall 2012 season and spring 2013 pre-collections to Ittierre SpA. Ittierre will produce and distribute apparel and the majority of the accessories, with distribution focused on Europe, North America and Asia, at prices between €140 and €2,000, the upper limit north of where Hilfiger had been positioned.
   The collections will be sold in six showrooms after the fall 2012 shows at New York Fashion Week, retailing from July. Tommy Hilfiger retains creative control over all collections.

Summer Rayne Oakes and Benita Singh’s Cartier award-winning venture, Source4Style, which helps designers source sustainable fabric through a well designed, transparent website, launches its second version today. Lucire has the low-down in the main part of the site, and this story forms part of some of our next 2012 print and other non-web editions.
   We believe this will revolutionize the way the business of fashion is conducted. Think about it: consumers demand sustainability and the trend has no signs of stopping. Yet, according to Singh, suppliers are spending up to 43 per cent of their marketing budgets just on trade shows. ‘It’s a huge up-front time and financial commitment with no guarantee of a return,’ she says. On the other end of the scale, Cornell University research shows that designers are spending up to 85 per cent of their time visiting those same shows, going through online directories, or wading through sample folders.
   Source4Style uses the internet to bridge the divide, and has obvious positive implications for smaller suppliers, who are on a level playing field with the big names. Some of these suppliers are in third-world countries, so it’s not hard to see the financial benefit that Source4Style can have for them and their communities.
   It’s in line with the ideas in Simon Anholt’s Brand New Justice, where Anholt posited that good brands helped third-world communities find greater profits and margins. Source4Style doesn’t quite give these companies brands per se, but through the site, it allows them to be the equal of businesses that are operating in the first world, and levels the playing field.
   It is the solidity behind this venture that sees us devote two web pages and the cover to it. We encourage readers to take a look, as this may well be the moment when fashion changes for good—in more than one sense of the word.—Jack Yan, Publisher

Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Actors Clive Owen and Megan Fox were at the launch for the Vertu Constellation luxury cellphone in Moskva last night, along with Russian A-listers.
   Held at the Volkhonka Arts Centre near the Kremlin, the event was hosted by Vertu president Perry Oosting. Singer Anastasia livened up proceedings.
   Vertu has not only crafted a phone blending craftsmanship with the latest technology, users can subscribe to a tailored luxury information service through Vertu Concierge.
   Vertu gives customers potential access to what it calls ‘a generous global network of private members’ lifestyle and business clubs’, including bars, dining and business facilities.
   The earlier launch for Vertu was at the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milano, with guests including Tilda Swinton, Uma Thurman, Chanel Iman, Michelle Yeoh, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Heidy Allende, David Gandy. Owen made an appearance at that event, too, and was very much the man of the moment.







Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Mini has announced its sixth model, the Roadster, essentially a convertible version of its recently released Coupé.
   The Roadster is the first time Mini has released an open-top two-seater. Like the Coupé, it’s a three-box shape, with stowage area behind the seats, and sizeable boot (240 l compared with the Coupé’s 280).
   As with the Coupé, BMW is keen to emphasize that this is a different car with a different proposition. Publicity photographs feature a male model more regularly, as the company targets more male buyers (or, as its politically correct introduction states, more ‘demanding target groups’). It is 20 mm lower than the existing R55 Mini Cabriolet. Its manual soft-top is designed to be easily opened and closed, and with the saving in weight over an automatic system, the Roadster is expected to have healthier performance than the R55.
   The double rollover hoops help distinguish the Roadster’s appearance, as well as a more heavily raked windscreen and A-pillars.
   BMW calls the Roadster ‘spontaneous, open, irresistible’ in its PR materials. It has a wide range of customization options. The design language reflects the Mini brand, and, unlike the Coupé, the roof is not as controversial. In fact, it follows what BMW calls a design reminiscent of ‘classic British roadsters’.
   The Roadster’s bodyshell is stiffened at the rear to help with torsional rigidity, while the front has also been stiffened, resulting in a slightly higher front-axle load, aiding front-wheel traction. The company claims a lower centre of gravity for the Roadster compared with the standard Mini.
   The chassis, while shared with the other models, has a unique set-up. While stability control is standard, dynamic traction control and differential lock control are optional (standard on the John Cooper Works model). The active rear spoiler extends automatically when the Roadster hits 80 km/h (50 mph), but can also be activated manually.
   Engines include the John Cooper Works petrol unit with 211 PS (155 kW). The Cooper S Roadster delivers 184 PS (135 kW), while the base model has 122 PS (90 kW). The SD roadster delivers 143 PS (105 kW) and a claimed 63 mpg Imperial (4·5 l/100 km) with carbon dioxide emissions of 118 g/km.

OPI has announced an update for its Iphone and Ipod Touch app for IOS 5, which allows users to browse through over 200 nail lacquer shades at greater speed. The company also says its graphics are better, now at higher resolutions, and the app can multitask more effectively with other programs, including Facebook.
   The app is free to download.
   ‘The improved OPI app gives fans the chance to try on lacquers easier than before,’ says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI executive VP and artistic director. ‘The app’s Try It on Studio has been hugely popular, and we are happy to improve upon and expand it. It’s a great resource when choosing your lacquer at the salon, since you can get an idea of how a colour looks on your hand before committing.’
   OPI has also launched a collection inspired by the Muppets, to coincide with the new movie débuting December.
   Twelve limited-edition lacquers are being released, with names such as Animal-istic, Gettin’ Miss Piggy with It, Fresh Frog of Bel Air, Warm & Fozzie, and a glitter lacquer called—what else—Rainbow Connection.
   OPI’s The Muppets range have no DBP, toluene or formaldehyde, and features its ProWide brush. It arrives in New Zealand for November, retailing at NZ$24·90 each, with the mini packs at NZ$39·90.

In celebrity news, Daniel Craig is in good humour at the The Adventures of Tintin: the Secret of the Unicorn première at the Odeon in the West End, demonstrating just what annoys him about journalists. Meanwhile, director Steven Spielberg talks highly of working with producer Peter Jackson and how their roles would switch if there were a sequel, and how he wanted to honour Hergé with the adaptation.
   Craig plays the villain, Ivan Ivanovich Sakharine, in the motion-capture film. Jamie Bell is in the title role. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Andy Serkis also star in the movie.
   Meanwhile, Madonna has had her own film première, W. E., a bio-pic about Wallis Simpson, which she directed.
   At the BFI London Film Festival, the singer-turned-director says she could relate to Mrs Simpson in being misunderstood, with the exception that she has an opportunity to defend herself.
   The film stars Andrea Riseborough as Mrs Simpson and James d’Arcy as King Edward VIII.
   The UK première took place at the Empire in London’s Leicester Square. The film has already been shown at film festivals at Venezia and Toronto.
   Finally, Kelly Brook attends the launch of the Xbox 360 game Dance Central 2—and says it’s important to ‘get the scaffolding right’ when taking to the dance floor, even the virtual one.