What term is used to refer to a type of easement that is associated with commercial use and often owned by government entities or public utilities?

The term "easement in gross" refers specifically to an easement that benefits a specific individual or entity rather than a particular piece of land. This type of easement is often associated with commercial use and is commonly held by government entities or public utilities. For example, a utility company may have an easement in gross to run power lines or pipelines across various properties.

This type of easement does not attach to the land itself but rather to the utility or entity that owns the easement. Therefore, it can be transferred or assigned independently of the land to which it is related, making it particularly valuable for commercial purposes that require access or use of property that the easement holder does not own.

In contrast, other options like easement by necessity, license, and prescriptive easement refer to different scenarios regarding land use and ownership, such as requiring access for a landlocked property, temporary permissions, or rights acquired through continuous use, respectively. These do not encapsulate the idea of an easement specifically meant for commercial purposes or tied to government or utility entities as effectively as easement in gross does.