PleasrDAO sues Martin Shkreli for allegedly copying Wu-Tang Clan album

PleasrDAO, a group of digital art enthusiasts, has initiated legal action against Martin Shkreli, accusing him of producing unauthorized reproductions of the exclusive Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (2015). In 2021, the collective acquired the album for $4.75 million from the US government, which had confiscated Shkreli's assets following his 2015 conviction for financial misconduct and £70 million in penalties. The lawsuit alleges that Shkreli wrongfully kept copies of the files during the forfeiture process and has either released or plans to release them publicly, inflicting substantial financial and irreparable damage on PleasrDAO. After serving nearly six and a half years of a seven-year sentence, Shkreli hosted a livestream 'listening party' for the album, admitting he made copies. Earlier this year, Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) provided free timed tickets for a 30-minute preview of the 31-track album, marking the first public listening event, with a sold-out exhibition from June 15–24.