Google is facing a lawsuit from Autodesk, which alleges that Google infringed its “Flow” trademark to promote rival AI-powered software used in the production of movies, television shows and video games.
According to a complaint filed on Friday in a federal court in San Francisco, Autodesk said it began using the Flow brand in September 2022 across products focused on visual effects, production management and related tools. The company said it was taken by surprise when Google launched its own Flow-branded software in May 2025, targeting the same customer base.
Autodesk claims Google had previously assured it would not commercialize the Flow name. Despite that, the lawsuit alleges Google applied for a Flow trademark in the Kingdom of Tonga that same month—a jurisdiction where trademark filings are typically not publicly accessible. Autodesk said this filing was later used as a basis to pursue similar trademark protections in the United States.
The complaint also alleges that Google has actively promoted its Flow software at major industry events, including the Sundance Film Festival, increasing the risk of market confusion.
“Google’s false representation that it would always use a combination of its house mark and Flow was intended to buy time to allow it to overwhelm Autodesk’s position in the market,” the filing said. Autodesk added that given Google’s scale, its Flow-branded products could eclipse Autodesk’s offerings despite their commercial success.
As of Friday, Autodesk’s market value stood at roughly $51 billion, compared with about $3.9 trillion for Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
Google did not immediately comment on the lawsuit on Monday.
Autodesk is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, citing consumer confusion and what it describes as irreparable harm caused by Google’s actions. In a statement, Autodesk said it remains committed to protecting its innovations and ensuring fair competition in global markets.
The lawsuit follows a separate announcement last month in which Autodesk said it would cut approximately 1,000 jobs, or about 7% of its workforce, as it reallocates spending toward its cloud platform and artificial intelligence initiatives.
