As reported by Pitchfork, PleasrDAO, the digital art collective that holds the unique Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, has filed a lawsuit against the album's former owner, Martin Shkreli, accusing him of making unauthorized copies of the album and playing it for online audiences. The lawsuit, filed in a Brooklyn federal court on June 10th and obtained by Pitchfork, details the public history of the album, noting that Shkreli purchased it in 2015 for $2 million before being arrested and subsequently convicted of securities fraud. As part of his sentencing, Shkreli was required to forfeit nearly $7.4 million in assets, including the Wu-Tang Clan album.
PleasrDAO, which acquired the album for $4 million while Shkreli was incarcerated, contends that Shkreli is still bound by the forfeiture order, which mandates that he “take[s] all reasonable steps, and bear all costs necessary, to ensure that all the Substitute Assets [i.e., Once Upon a Time in Shaolin] are preserved and maintained in good and marketable condition, and are not damaged, diluted or diminished in value as a result of any actions taken or not taken by the defendant and his representatives.”
The lawsuit alleges that Shkreli violated these terms by creating copies of the album and publicly playing its music, actions which he admitted to doing on social media.
According to PleasrDAO, “Any dissemination of the Album’s music to the general public greatly diminishes and/or destroys the Album’s value, and significantly damages PleasrDAO’s reputation and ability to commercially exploit the Album.”
Furthermore, PleasrDAO claims that Shkreli has profited unfairly from promoting the illegally obtained music files.
In response, PleasrDAO and its legal representatives are seeking an inventory of Shkreli's files, the seizure of any copies, damages, and further relief.
Shkreli has openly mocked PleasrDAO for filing the lawsuit and has defended his actions on social media posts.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, the album is being publicly played at an exhibition in Australia's Museum of Old and New Art. While a contract restricts commercial exploitation of the album until 2109, private listening events such as the one at the museum are permitted.