this is business briefing. i'm sally bundock. retail revolution — luxury goods firms get set for a landmark european ruling on whether they can control how their goods are sold online. chasing china's internet millions — as the country hosts its big web conference will censorship prevail or will the great firewall be opened to outsiders? chasing china. one of the country's leading businessmen tells the bbc foreign tech firms must accept china's laws if they want to compete there. open to the world, open to twitter and facebook and google? and on the markets today we are seeing declines across the board in asia following a downbeat session in the us. we'll explain why traders are selling. should luxury brands be able to stop retailers

from selling their products on online marketplaces such as amazon and ebay? that's the question at the heart of a decision being made by europe's top court today. it's a battle that's been ongoing for a decade and could have wide ranging consequences for internet shopping. the test case was initially bought in germany by coty, the multi—billion—dollar us beauty company whose luxury brands include marc jacobs, calvin klein, rimmel and chloe. coty argues it should have the right to choose who sells its products and how. that would allow the firm to protect its image and exclusivity as part of the global personal luxury goods market that is worth some $295 billion dollars. however, a german retailer called parfumerie akzente argues it has the right to sell coty‘s goods

on sites including amazon and ebay and the restrictions violate eu competition rules. 62% of german retailers use online marketplaces, more than any other eu country — and many argue that offers consumers more choice and lower prices. so depending on today's result you might find less or more luxury branded goods for sale on the likes of amazon and ebay. aysha fernandes is legal director for competition, eu and trade in the london office of the law firm eversheds sutherland. good to see you. hello. as ever, with these cases, it is all about the law. just explain in more detail the law. just explain in more detail the two sides are? as you say this isa the two sides are? as you say this is a debate which has been going on for the last decade, about six or seven for the last decade, about six or seve n years for the last decade, about six or seven years ago we had a judgement from the highest european court that

serbs an absolute ban on selling online is almost never permitted. —— that said. it is not the fact that blacks might even archery goods, that doesn't justify a blacks might even archery goods, that doesn'tjustify a luxury band. —— that the goods might be luxury goods, that doesn'tjustify an absolute ban. different states have taken different absolute ban. different states have ta ken different interpretations absolute ban. different states have taken different interpretations of that and what that means. the german regulator is an example of one which took a strict approach and viewed a ban on online marketplaces as effectively being a de facto ban on internet sales. and therefore, as something that events retailers from being able to sell across borders. —— prevents. what you think the outcome today will be? who will win this battle eventually? we had an

opinion on the advocate general that injuly. the advocate general is a senior legal adviser to the european court, and the advocate general‘s opinions are usually followed. the opinions are usually followed. the opinion of the advocate general was that in the case of luxury or quality goods, procedures goods, the advocate general referred to, an absolute ban on using online marketplaces might not amount to a restriction of competition at all, because it might be justified either nature of the goods. —— by the nature. and it might nonetheless be protected by the safe harbour of the block exemption that exists for distribution agreements. so we are looking at the luxury goods companies not getting their way in this particular circumstance, is that what you are thinking?“ this particular circumstance, is that what you are thinking? if the court follows the advocate general‘s opinion, that would be good for the

luxury goods brands. they would be able to protect their brands more effectively? yes, legally, it would give them, for the moment anyway, a greater ability to control exactly how they are goods are sold online. now, i say for the moment, because the advocate general‘s opinion was couched very much in terms of in the current state of e—commerce, he did not think an absolute ban on online platforms amounted to an absolute ban on selling online. now, online platforms are an increasingly important route to market. that could change in time. as you will know, the platforms thought tech companies are innovating almost faster than the law can keep up. the law will have to evolve. today's judgement will be really important, it will give us clarity on the

issue, if not giving us the answer for all time. you will be busy either way, i can tell. thank you for your take on that. as soon as we hear from the court we will update you on the outcome. one of china's most prominent businessman has told the bbc that foreign firms must play by the country's controversial rules and regulations on the internet if they want to compete in the world's biggest market place. jack ma, the head of the online retail giant alibaba, was speaking at an annual gathering of government and corporate leaders which is often over shadowed by the country's tough censorship laws. from the conference in wuzhen, our correspondent robin brant sent this report. every year china invites the world is to this serene watertown to talk about the internet, its vision of the internet. —— water town. this year that includes openness. there is less talk about china's widespread censorship online, the strict controls on access and the

great firewall this man is partly responsible for which keeps twitter, google and others out. it is no big secret. but there was not much openness from one of the ministers in charge of the internet. these are names familiar to many online here in china, and they are coming to a mobile or a tablet near you. but china doesn't just want to sell you stuff. it is ramping up its investment in how the internet works. artificial intelligence, the data, cloud compute in. in the big idea at this conference is openness. china open to the world, apparently, and in return, the world open to china. but there is a sinister side tojoin online. china's internet controllers went into overdrive this year to help this man, the president. apple agreed to remove dozens president. apple agreed to remove d oze ns of president. apple agreed to remove dozens of apps which allowed free access to the web. what sap was blocked. —— w whatsapp. none of that

has deterred big names from coming to this conference. facebook is banned in china, but it is trying ha rd to banned in china, but it is trying hard to get a can. when will facebook be coming to china legally? no comment. will you be censoring your content here in china, mr smith? no comment. there was not much openness from them either. this man isa much openness from them either. this man is a star in china. he has made billions here. the online retail that he must alibaba has madejack ma its best—known businessman. he has a very direct message for the foreign firms who want in. china's president promised this

conference he would open the doors wider and wider. he knows some foreign firms don't like his vision of the internet. what they will accept it, and join in. —— of the internet. what they will accept it, andjoin in. —— but of the internet. what they will accept it, and join in. —— but they will. now let's brief you some other business stories. the united states has imposed a range of tariffs on some steel products that are imported from vietnam. the commerce department says that many of them originate in china and are trying to circumvent existing duties which aim to tackle dumping and state subsidies. the new tariffs range from 39% to 265%. a final decsion is due in february. australia's economy grew by 0.6% in the three months from june to september.

that makes an annualised rate of 2.8%. it was underpinned by higher business investment and government spending on infrastructure projects. the world's 12th biggest economy is trying to diversify away from its dependence on mining and is suffering from slow wage growth. the boss of the international retailer steinhoff has resigned amid reports of accounting irregularties at the firm whose brands include poundland here in the uk. marcusjooste's departure comes after the german listed company's asked pwc to perform an "independent investigation" of its finances. in other parts of the world the company has about 12,000 stores many of which sell furniture and clothing. let's look at the markets as promised. as we come to the end of the year, we basically have investors locking in profits. we have had these markets adding to global highs every single day, pretty much, for some of these markets. so people are locking in profits and waiting for catalyst for another reason to buy. perhaps a tax reform in the us might be a catalyst. we have been used breathing coming up. i will see you

ina breathing coming up. i will see you in a moment. —— we have the news reefing coming up. —— briefing. a british woman who found herself at the centre of one of the great political scandals of modern times has died at the age of 75. christine keeler came famous for her involvement in the prefumo affair in 1963, a scandal which rocked the british establishment when she had an affair with government minister john prefumo and a russian diplomat at the height of the cold war. it was the biggest scandal of the 1960s, and christine keeler was the woman at its centre — model, party girl, mistress of powerful men. john profumo was the ministerfor war. he and christine had a brief affair. when challenged, he lied about it

to the house of commons and was forced to resign. it didn't help that yevgeny ivanov, a kgb spy, had also been seeing keeler. the old establishment never recovered from the shock. the profuma affair spelt the end of prime minister harold macmillan's government, but also the end of an era deference and respect in which sleaze had been discreetly swept under the carpet. christine always claimed she was more prey than predator. i wish that at that time i had been older so that i would have been able to have answered or spoke up for myself. she'd left school at 15, her childhood home had been a pair of converted railway carriages. she'd a child at 17, and then lived with peter rachman, a notorious slum landlord. later, a west indian boyfriend was charged with assaulting her and christine lied in court. she was jailed for perjury. but she was often broke,

a victim, many thought, of establishment hypocrisy and two marriages ended in divorce. tonight her son said she'd earnt her place in british history, but at huge personal cost. you are with the briefing. the headlines: senior us officials say president trump will recognise jerusalem as the capital of israel later today. arab states have warned the decision could provoke violence. the international olympic committee has announced that it's banning russia from the 2018 winter olympics. it follows an investigation into allegations of state—sponsored doping at the 2014 games hosted by russia. france's biggest rock star, johnny hallyday, has died from lung cancer at the age of 7a.

known as the french elvis, he was hugely popular in the francophone world. the european court ofjustice is due to issues a landmark ruling on whether luxury brands can stop retailers from selling their products on online marketplaces such as amazon and ebay. those and other stories of interest on the bbc news app. it is interesting for any of you who are interested in driverless cars. nissan intends to start trailing d riverless nissan intends to start trailing driverless taxi is in tokyo from march next year. if that interests you take a look when you have time. now onto the stories dominating the

media around the world, whether it be print, online, or in social media. we'll start here in the uk — a story on many front pages — we'll take a look at the daily telgraph. it has the headline "m15 foils islamist terror plot to kill may" — the article reads "security services have foiled an alleged plot to assassinate the uk prime minister in downing street. two men are due to appear in court today." turning to thejerusalem post, as news spreads that president trump is expected to recognise jerusalem as the capital of israel. thejerusalem mayor says moving the us embassy to the holy city would take "two minutes".