Martin Shkreli Faces Lawsuit Over Copying Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album

Martin Shkreli, the former pharmaceutical executive widely known as ‘Pharma Bro,’ is facing legal trouble again—this time for allegedly copying and broadcasting the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen ruled that a digital art collective, PleasrDAO, can proceed with key misappropriation claims against Shkreli. PleasrDAO, which purchased the album for $4 million in 2021, accuses Shkreli of making unauthorized digital copies and streaming them online.

Shkreli originally bought the album in 2015 for $2 million before it was forfeited to partially satisfy a $7.4 million judgment stemming from his 2017 securities fraud conviction. Despite his prior forfeiture, PleasrDAO alleges that Shkreli retained digital files of the album and later admitted during livestreams to playing it for his audience. His online taunts, including one post stating, ‘LOL i have the mp3s you moron,’ were cited as evidence in the lawsuit.

While Judge Chen dismissed some of the collective’s claims, she allowed the misappropriation claim to move forward, noting the album’s secrecy and exclusivity as its core value. She found that PleasrDAO had plausibly taken steps to maintain the album’s confidentiality, including using armed guards and surveillance.

This legal action underscores the growing complexities at the intersection of copyright law, digital ownership, and the handling of exclusive cultural assets. PleasrDAO seeks damages and the return of any remaining unauthorized copies.