New York City, New York – A digital art collective is taking legal action against Martin Shkreli, the convicted pharmaceutical executive infamous for his price gouging of life-saving drugs. The collective claims that Shkreli made unauthorized copies of a rare album by the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which they purchased for $4.75 million.
Shkreli initially bought the album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, for $2 million back in 2015. After his conviction for fraud and other crimes, he surrendered the album as part of a forfeiture order. However, since his release from prison, Shkreli has been sharing the music with fans, violating the terms of the order and diminishing the album’s value.
PleasrDAO, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, is seeking for Shkreli to destroy the copies of the album, hand over any profits made from its dissemination, and pay compensatory and punitive damages. US district judge Pamela Chen has issued a temporary restraining order preventing Shkreli from further sharing the music, with a potential injunction looming.
The unique nature of the album, being the only copy in existence, adds to the controversy surrounding Shkreli’s actions. Wu-Tang Clan, a highly respected hip-hop group from New York, created the album as a statement on the value of music and art.
Shkreli’s history of unethical behavior, including the price hike of Daraprim and subsequent legal troubles, has further fueled the public’s condemnation of his actions. Despite being released early from his prison sentence, Shkreli is still under supervised release and has been banned from the pharmaceutical industry.
The case highlights the ongoing battle between art ownership and digital rights, as well as the consequences of individuals abusing their power for personal gain. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for the future of music ownership and intellectual property rights.