Now smirking pharma bro Martin Shkreli faces copyright suit involving one-off Wu-Tang Album he bought for $2m just to 'keep from the people'
- Martin Shkreli, 32, faces lawsuit claiming that his $2 million Wu-Tang Clan album has artwork ripped off from NYC artist
- Jason Koza, 34, said he never allowed his fan art to be used in packaging for the group's 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin'
- Shkreli isn't going to listen to album, but bought to 'keep it from the people'
- Koza also blames Wu-Tang leader Robert 'RZA' Diggs for including the art in the album
A New York artist wants 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli to pay up for the $2 million Wu-Tang Clan album that contains his ripped off illustrations.
Jason Koza, 34, filed a complaint on Tuesday that said he never allowed his fan art depicting Wu-Tang members to be used in packaging for the hip-hop group's album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the sole copy of which Shkreli bought.
The former drug executive, Shkreli has bragged that he had no plans to listen to the album, but bought it to 'keep it from the people.'
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Martin Shkreli faces a new lawsuit claiming that his $2 million Wu-Tang Clan album contains illustrations ripped off from New York artist, Jason Koza, who now wants the former drug executive to pay for them
The Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album, which is the sole copy of that Shkreli bought for $2 million
The 32-year-old is also known for sparking outrage last year among patients, doctors and politicians after his former company Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the price of the anti-parasitic infection drug Daraprim by more than 5,000 per cent.
Koza, 34, of Copiague, New York, said he thought his nine works would appear only on the website Wu-Tang Clan Disciples, a blog filled with fan art.
But the Fashion Institute of Technology graduate now blames Wu-Tang leader Robert 'RZA' Diggs for including them in the 'Shaolin' album, and Shkreli for allowing three works depicting Inspectah Deck, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Raekwon to accompany a January 29 article at Vice.com.
Koza (right) blames Robert 'RZA' Diggs for including them in the 'Shaolin' album and Shkreli for allowing three works depicting Inspectah Deck, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Raekwon to accompany a January 29 Vice article
'Mr. Koza was happy when his work appeared on the website,' the complaint said.
'Mr. Koza never granted a license for his works to be copied or displayed anywhere (else).'
Other defendants include Paddle8, which auctioned the album, and Wu Tang-affiliated producer Tarik 'Cilvaringz' Azzougarh.
Koza said he thought his nine works would appear only on the website WuDisciples.blogspot.com and that he never granted a license for his works to be copied or displayed anywhere else
Koza said Cilvaringz has acknowledged the infringement, asking in a Jan. 31 email 'if you want to skype discussing the use of your drawings. Thanks bro.'
Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer for Shkreli, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Wu-Tang did not immediately respond to a similar request. A Paddle8 spokeswoman declined to comment.
Last Thursday, Shkreli invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on drug pricing, and later tweeted that lawmakers in Congress were imbeciles.
He also faces separate federal securities fraud charges.
Koza is seeking unspecified damages plus profits stemming from copyright infringement.
His lawyer Peter Scoolidge said in a phone interview that Shkreli 'didn't need to know' the illustrations were protected to be liable. 'There is no intent requirement for copyright infringement,' he said.
The Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip-hop group from New York City, originally composed of East Coast rappers RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Ol' Dirty Bastard. The groups best selling albums were Enter the Wu-Tang and Wu-Tang Forever
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