Shkreli Seeks Wu-Tang Clan Involvement In Legal Battle Over Album

According to Cointelegraph, Martin Shkreli, known as "Pharma Bro," is embroiled in a legal dispute with PleasrDAO concerning a unique Wu-Tang Clan album. Shkreli has urged a Brooklyn federal court to involve Wu-Tang member Robert Diggs, also known as RZA, and the album's producer Tarik Azzougarh, known as Cilvaringz, in the lawsuit. He argues that they should be included due to their property interest in the album's copyrights. PleasrDAO initiated legal action against Shkreli in June 2024, accusing him of unlawfully retaining and threatening to distribute digital copies of the exclusive Wu-Tang Clan album, "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." The DAO claims this has caused significant financial and irreparable harm to the group. Shkreli contends that Diggs and Azzougarh, as partial copyright owners, are essential to the case, as a ruling in favor of PleasrDAO could disrupt their 50% ownership and create conflicting obligations. Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical executive, asserts that the purchase agreement for the album granted him 50% copyright over its contents, even if he sold the physical album, and permitted him to make copies. PleasrDAO, which acquired the album in 2021 for $4.75 million from the Justice Department following Shkreli's 2018 securities fraud conviction, disputes this claim. They argue that their purchase included an agreement where Shkreli relinquished all rights, titles, and interests in the album. In response to Shkreli's dismissal motion, PleasrDAO contends that his interpretation of their lawsuit is flawed and has requested the court to reject his bid. In August, Judge Pamela Chen ordered Shkreli to surrender all copies of the album and sign an affidavit confirming he no longer possesses any. However, PleasrDAO remains skeptical of Shkreli's compliance, describing his claim of handing over all copies as "dubious." In a January 8 letter, PleasrDAO's legal team highlighted unresolved issues regarding Shkreli's adherence to the court order. They stated that they provided Shkreli with a list of additional searches to locate any remaining copies of the album on December 9, but his lawyers indicated that only some searches were conducted. PleasrDAO claims to have followed up on December 24 and January 6, but alleges that Shkreli has yet to respond to their request.