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Martin Shkreli Faces Suit Over Alleged Copies of Rare Wu-Tang Album
Last Updated: September 29, 2025
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Key Takeaways
- Judge allows PleasrDAO to sue Martin Shkreli for keeping and sharing copies of Wu-Tang Clan’s one-of-a-kind album;
- Shkreli allegedly streamed and offered digital files even after forfeiting the record in his 2018 fraud conviction;
- PleasrDAO owns the physical album and copyrights, bought after the US Marshals sold it for $2 million following Shkreli’s forfeiture.
A federal judge has decided that Martin Shkreli, often referred to as "Pharma Bro", may face a lawsuit for copying and sharing Wu-Tang Clan’s album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
The decision gives PleasrDAO, which owns the work, the chance to pursue damages and seek the return of any files Shkreli may still hold.
Judge Pamela Chen’s ruling keeps alive claims focused on trade secret misuse and recovery of property, though she dismissed other parts of the case tied to copyright law.
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The lawsuit argued that after Shkreli was forced to give up the album in 2018 as part of his fraud conviction, he kept digital copies and later streamed tracks online and offered to distribute them to others.
The Wu-Tang Clan recorded the 31-track project between 2007 and 2013 as a statement against the devaluation of music in the digital age. Only a single physical copy was ever produced, accompanied by a manuscript that detailed lyrics and production notes.
Shkreli purchased it in 2015 under an agreement that limited his ability to use it for 88 years, despite giving him a partial copyright share.
When Shkreli was later convicted, a forfeiture order required him to surrender the album and avoid any action that might reduce its value or availability.
The US Marshals sold the recording in July 2021 for more than $2 million, and PleasrDAO purchased it. In January 2024, they also acquired the copyright for roughly $750,000.
Meanwhile, xAI recently accused OpenAI of stealing trade secrets by targeting its employees. What did the lawsuit state? Read the full story.
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