License
Permission to do a normal human activity.
From Latin licentia — a privilege granted by an authority to do something that would otherwise be unlawful. A license presumes the activity is unlawful without it.
By applying for a license you confess you have no inherent right to the activity. You are now operating under the grantor's rules, fees and penalties — in commerce.
A musician on a private porch playing for friends needs no license. The moment the same musician sells tickets at a public venue, it is commerce — and the venue requires a performance license. Same act, different jurisdiction: private vs commercial.
