We all love a good Re-Mix—DJ sets, fanfic art and writing, and the video re-edits that have become a YouTube phenomenon. But works devised from original copyrighted content have long been a grey area as far as copyright issues, keeping the practice and works behind a veil of secrecy and semi-legitimacy. Well, now the newly launched Organization for Transformative Work is out to protect, collect and celebrate media fandom.

The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) is a nonprofit organization established by fans to serve the interests of fans by providing access to and preserving the history of fanworks and fan culture in its myriad forms. We believe that fanworks are transformative and that transformative works are legitimate.

They’re planning on a bunch of initiatives, including:

• Designing, programming, and launching an Archive of Our Own, a Web archive to host transformative fanworks.
• Establishing a legal defense project and forming alliances to defend fanworks from legal challenge.
• Creating a fan wiki to preserve the history of transformative fanworks and the fandoms from which they have arisen.

Oh yeah, and the all female board of directors make a point of recognize fanwork’s cultural identity and history as being predominantly female in the values of the organization. Talk about representing.

They’re just starting and looking for help—volunteers in all aspects, donations, and just plain awareness. So if you like your re-mixes, check ‘em out.

Link via Boing Boing