Red Army With Bonus Copyright Ramble

This outfit makes me feel like I should be in some kind of gothic Communist military wing. Or maybe a flight attendant on a dark, brooding Socialist airline. Either way makes me happy.

What I'm wearing:
Red sheath dress, Target (same style as this black one) | Black military-style jacket, H&M | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Red ankle boots, Aerosoles | Pewter square earrings, local artist

In ever-so-slightly-related news today, various U.S. websites like Wikipedia & Craigslist went dark today to protest the proposed SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) legislation in the American Congress. As someone who's worked in the Internet industry for over 15 years (almost since it became a going business concern!), I find these bills draconian and unnecessary as ways to "protect" copyright and stop illegal online activity. The legislation could force online businesses into untenable situations, restricting free speech and spending far too much time and money tracking down possible abuse instead of actually producing useful or interesting tools and content. SOPA and PIPA are not scalable or technically practical, much the less reasonable in a free society.

This does not mean, however, that copyright protection is a bad idea. As a writer, I'm a big fan of having my work being respected and not ripped off. But a little education goes a long way and is generally a better idea than cracking down from above.

Which is why I finally posted an article I've been working on -- An Introduction to Copyright for Bloggers, Especially Costume Bloggers -- over at my costume website. While geared towards those who write about costumes, it should be pretty useful for those who write about fashion or goth topics as well. I've included lots of reference links so you can get more info, as needed. Please leave comments over there if you have questions!