Posts in OTW Signal
OTW Signal, August 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News The recent swell of traditionally published novels with roots in fanfiction has left many questioning the legality of commercialized fanworks. In The romance of fair use and fiction, Rutgers Law student and OTW documentation volunteer Ally Duong explains how copyright law protects such novels—and why. Fanfiction culture has proved fertile ground for artistic expression. Copyright law nurtures that creativity by protecting an author’s… Read more
OTW Signal, July 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News This June, the OTW joined several of our allies in signing a letter opposing the NO FAKES Act of 2026 in its current form. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), which led the coalition, stressed that while they share concerns about harmful AI-generated replicas, the bill as currently proposed would harness the already-flawed Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice-and-takedown system to target… Read more
OTW Signal, June 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News Last month, Russian photographer Alexandra Kuzyk became one of many people targeted in Russia’s intensifying campaign against LGBTQ+ expression when she was prosecuted for writing gay fanfiction. Prosecutors sought a four-year prison sentence, but Kuzyk was instead sentenced to 18 months of compulsory labor, with 10% of her wages withheld by the state. While Kuzyk was formally convicted under Russia’s law against producing… Read more
OTW Signal, May 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News The Archive of Our Own (AO3) has officially exited open beta! Following the OTW’s April 2 announcement, numerous outlets recapped the news, highlighting this milestone and its significance. Archive of Our Own, widely known as AO3, has officially come out of beta after 17 years, closing a long chapter in the history of one of the internet’s most popular fan fiction websites. The… Read more
OTW Signal, April 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News A discussion on NPR Radio centered on a growing debate: should fanfiction have remained tucked away in private internet forums and zines, or was its advance into the mainstream inevitable and even beneficial? That conversation seems to reflect a broader cultural shift, indicated by several recent news stories describing fanfiction as not only a major force in pop culture, but also a legitimate… Read more