Being one of the most iconic pieces of animation in existence, Steamboat Willie has defined the often-amorphous world of artistic copyright for 95 years now.

Despite appeals from Disney and a history of extensions, the recent entry of the original Mickey Mouse design into the public domain dramatically changes the character’s involvement in cartoons and, potentially, independent content.

Macquarie University Media and Communications Chair Steve Collins told Chrissy Morrissey on 6PR Afternoons copyrights on intellectual property were more of a pre-internet process, and that there’s a lot of misconceptions on how they apply.

“What copyright gives you is the exclusive and exclusive bundle of rights, and those rights can differ depending on the type of work that’s created,” Doctor Collins said.

Press PLAY to hear more about how copyright claims are changing