What is the difference between performance rights and public domain, and how do theatres obtain rights?

• A. Public domain works are free to perform without permission.
• B. Public domain works are free to perform; performance rights require licensing from rights holders; obtained via licensing agencies or publishers.
• C. Both are always free.
• D. Public domain means the work is still copyrighted and cannot be performed.

Answer: (B)

Public domain means a work is no longer protected by copyright, so anyone can stage or perform it without asking for permission. In contrast, a work that is still under copyright requires permission from the rights holders to perform it, which is handled through a license. The usual way theatres obtain rights is by contacting the licensing agency or the publisher that controls the rights and purchasing a license for the production. That license specifies what can be performed, where, for how long, and what royalties or fees apply. If a work is in the public domain, you can perform it freely, but if you use a newer edition or a specific adaptation, those elements may have their own rights. This combination—public domain being free to perform and performance rights requiring a license obtained through licensing agencies or publishers—explains the difference clearly.