Some knot theory of complex plane curves

This survey of some of the more topological aspects of the placement problem for complex curves in complex surfaces was originally published in L'Enseignement Mathematique 29 (1983). The present LaTeXed redaction corrects several typographical errors without, I hope, introducing new ones; some minor emendations and references to post-1983 results have been added as footnotes, but I have not made a thoroughgoing effort to update the text. Anyone having further information -- for instance, on the current status of questions incorrectly described as still open -- is encouraged to let me know!