Martin Shkreli Sued For Allegedly Copying One-Of-A-Kind Wu-Tang Album
The big pharma criminal and former punk-rock benefactor Martin Shkreli famously purchased the one and only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin back in 2015, a decision RZA later regretted. Shkreli had to forfeit the album after his conviction for securities fraud, and eventually the US government auctioned it off to the cryptocurrency collective PleasrDAO for $4.75 million. The album is set to be played in public for the first time at listening events in Tasmania this month. Now, its owners have sued Shkreli for allegedly making a copy of the record in direct violation of his purchase agreement.
The New York Post reports that Pleasr has sued Shkreli. The lawsuit alleges that on livestreams, he has claimed that he held onto the record, even once claiming to his viewers, “I was playing it on YouTube the other night even though somebody paid $4 million for it.” Pleasr says thousands of people tuned in Sunday for what Shkreli called a “Wu tang official listening party.” Obviously, if true, these actions undermine the value of music that supposedly does not exist outside one solitary record. The company wants Shkreli to destroy his copies, turn over any profits from distributing the music, and pay compensatory and punitive damages.