Gibson Custom is releasing a limited-edition recreation of Billy Gibbons’ famed 1959 Les Paul Standard, nicknamed “Pearly Gates,” with only 30 units to be made worldwide. According to the announcement, the guitars were built using 3D scans and detailed measurements of Gibbons’ original instrument, with Gibson’s Murphy Lab aging each guitar to match the vintage original and each unit signed by Gibbons himself.

The release is tied to an invitation-only event called the Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates Experience, set for October 16 at Gibson Garage Nashville. Gibson says the evening will include a live performance by Gibbons, a moderated Q&A, a meet-and-greet and photo opportunity, and hospitality, with access limited exclusively to the 30 guitar purchasers and one guest each.

The guitar’s name traces back to a 1939 Packard that Gibbons and friends once loaned out for a cross-country trip; when the car sold, Gibbons used his share of the proceeds to buy the Les Paul that inherited the “Pearly Gates” name. Reservations for the Collector’s Edition and accompanying event are being taken by phone through Gibson Garage Nashville.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Libby Coffey, primeprgroup.com.

JAMBALOO, a music-industry philanthropy initiative funded by Mullen & Mullen Injury Law, is set to announce details of its next Free Week festival and Music Prize competition on September 22, along with additional programs supporting the Dallas-Fort Worth music community. The initiative was founded by personal injury lawyer Joe Morrison and music production manager Corey Pond in response to venue closures and eroding infrastructure for local artists in the region.

Since launching just over a year ago, JAMBALOO has run a weeklong Free Week festival featuring more than 100 artists across 30 venues, established a $20,000 prize to help keep an independent venue open, and created an annual $20,000 prize for DFW’s best independent album. The initiative also launched JAMBALOO.live, a year-round outlet covering the region’s independent music scene, and received the 2025 Obelisk Award for Best New Arts Initiative, according to the announcement.

Organizers describe JAMBALOO as an alternative to one-off event sponsorships, aiming instead to fund interconnected parts of the local music ecosystem, including venues, artists, education, mental health support and journalism.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Jim Capalbo, capcopr.net.

BPI CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE has argued that companies training generative AI models on creative work should be held to the same standard as any other resource they would not expect for free, comparing it to land, power or water, according to a new episode of the Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast recorded with founder Mark Adams.

In the wide-ranging interview, Twist reportedly distinguishes between AI as disruption, which she says is not inherently problematic, and AI as destruction. She also discusses the BRIT Awards’ relocation to Manchester and the Mercury Prize’s move to Newcastle, framing both as significant beyond the ceremonies themselves, and points to the grassroots venues, education and funding infrastructure that underpin breakthrough artists.

Twist cites British acts including Sam Fender, RAYE, Olivia Dean and YUNGBLUD as examples of artists achieving global success while retaining their cultural identity, according to the release accompanying the episode.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Mark Adams (Blinding Talent), blindingtalent.com.

AI music company Udio is standing by its argument that training its model on copyrighted recordings qualifies as fair use, in response to a lawsuit filed by Sony Music Entertainment and nine affiliated labels. The suit, filed July 20, covers more than 30,000 recordings that the same court had previously declined to fold into Sony’s existing case against Udio.

In its filing, Udio maintains that its use of the recordings was “quintessential fair use,” but argues that even if a court finds infringement occurred, damages should be minimal, as low as $200 per work. That figure is far below the maximum statutory damages available under U.S. copyright law, which can reach $150,000 per work for willful infringement.

The case adds to the mounting legal pressure on AI music generators from major labels, with the outcome likely to shape how courts weigh fair-use defenses and set damages benchmarks for AI training disputes across the industry.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.

Jason Isbell and David Lowery have filed a class action lawsuit against AI music startup Suno, led by CEO Mikey Shulman. Rather than pursuing a copyright claim, the musicians are targeting the company on identity grounds, arguing that Suno’s product generates a song, a written description and cover artwork that evoke a specific artist when prompted with that artist’s name.

The distinction matters legally, as identity-based claims sidestep some of the copyright defenses AI companies have used in prior litigation, instead framing the issue around unauthorized use of a musician’s persona and likeness.

The case adds to a growing list of legal challenges facing AI music generators as artists and rights holders test new approaches to holding these platforms accountable.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.