Italian luxury beauty brand Heli’s Gold Beauty S.R.L. has filed a lawsuit against Perfume Worldwide Inc., doing business as The PCA Group, and its owner, Piyush Golia, alleging that the defendants breached an exclusive distribution agreement intended to expand Heli’s Gold’s presence in North America.
The case centers on a five-year exclusive distribution agreement initially valued at $20 million, granting PCA Group the rights to distribute Heli’s Gold products in North America. Heli’s Gold alleges that PCA Group violated several terms of the agreement, including selling expired products, altering expiration dates, and marketing products outside the agreed-upon territory at reduced prices. According to the complaint, these actions caused financial losses and harmed the brand’s reputation as a premium product line.
The complaint also alleges that PCA Group failed to meet Minimum Annual Purchase Targets (MAPIs) set forth in the contract. For example, instead of purchasing $1 million worth of products in 2022 as required, PCA Group allegedly placed orders totaling only $8,832. Heli’s Gold further claims that PCA Group undermined its market position by selling products globally through platforms such as Amazon and Walmart at prices lower than those stipulated in the contract. This pricing allegedly created consumer confusion and disrupted relationships with international distributors who had exclusive agreements with Heli’s Gold.
The lawsuit further asserts that PCA Group’s conduct interfered with existing contracts between Heli’s Gold and other international distributors by selling products outside North America without authorization. As a result, some distributors allegedly terminated or declined agreements with Heli’s Gold, citing brand devaluation from discounted online sales.
Heli’s Gold seeks compensatory damages exceeding $30 million for lost profits and business opportunities, as well as consequential damages for mitigation efforts and legal costs. The complaint also requests a permanent injunction preventing PCA Group from continuing to sell its products under the disputed conditions.
The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Jeffrey M. Norton and Benjamin D. Baker of Newman Ferrara LLP. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID 25-cv-05124.