Art collective PleasrDAO is questioning Martin Shkreli's claim that he handed over all copies of the Wu-Tang Clan album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," which features over 31 tracks recorded between 2007 and 2013.
The group, which now owns the only legal physical copy of the album, has suggested that Shkreli may still have additional copies despite a court order to surrender them.
PleasrDAO expressed its doubts in a September 6 letter to a New York federal court, arguing that Shkreli's sworn statement—where he mentioned finding 15 digital files of the album on Microsoft OneDrive—might not be enough to prove full compliance. The DAO believes Shkreli may be hiding more copies and urged the court to demand a more extensive search.
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The legal battle over the album began after Shkreli's 2018 conviction for securities fraud, when the government seized the album as part of his assets. PleasrDAO bought it from the US Department of Justice for $4.75 million in 2021 and is selling fractional ownership through non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
One of PleasrDAO's main concerns is Shkreli's reference to "storage facilities" containing items from his prison term. The collective claims he hasn't adequately searched these locations, calling his compliance "dubious" and suggesting that more copies of the album may still be hidden.
They also claim Shkreli has previously bragged about distributing the album, including an instance where he allegedly said:
Dude, you know I burned the album and sent it to, like, 50 different chicks, right?
In June, PleasrDAO sued Shkreli, accusing him of holding unauthorized copies of the album despite their purchase agreement, which guaranteed them sole ownership. They are seeking a court order to confiscate any remaining copies and prevent Shkreli from profiting from the album in the future.
Shkreli, however, maintains that the copies he made were part of his original purchase of the album, which happened before the government seized it. He insists these copies aren't covered by the forfeiture and claims he has the right to use them as he pleases.
The legal dispute continues, with PleasrDAO pushing for Shkreli's full compliance and a resolution that secures their status as the exclusive owner of the iconic Wu-Tang Clan album.
