Autodesk has initiated legal proceedings against Google, alleging that the tech giant infringed upon its "Flow" trademark by using the name to promote a competing AI software designed for the creation of films, television series, and video games.
In a complaint filed on Friday in a federal court in San Francisco, USA, Autodesk stated that it has been using the "Flow" name for its visual effects, production management, and other related products since September 2022. The company expressed surprise when Google launched its own software named Flow in May 2025, targeting the same customer base.
Autodesk claims that Google had previously assured it that it would not commercialize a product under the Flow name. However, in the same month, Google applied for a trademark registration for the name in Tonga, a South Pacific island nation where such applications are typically not publicly disclosed.
According to the lawsuit, Google utilized its Tongan application to subsequently seek trademark protection for Flow in the United States within the same category. The complaint also states that Google promoted its Flow software at industry events, including the Sundance Film Festival.
The legal filing alleges, "Google's false promise to always use a combined name with its own brand for Flow was intended to buy time to seize market share from Autodesk. Despite the success of Autodesk's Flow product line, the significantly larger Google is likely to overwhelm Autodesk's Flow product and the Flow trademark."
Headquartered in San Francisco, Autodesk had a market valuation of approximately $51 billion as of last Friday. In contrast, Alphabet, Google's parent company based in Mountain View, California, boasts a market capitalization of around $3.9 trillion.
Google had not issued a comment on the matter as of Monday.
Autodesk is seeking from Google unspecified compensation for alleged consumer confusion and purported irreparable harm, in addition to punitive damages.
In a statement, Autodesk said, "We remain committed to protecting our innovations and upholding fair competition in the global marketplace."
Last month, Autodesk announced plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 1,000 employees, representing about 7% of its staff, as part of a strategic shift to redirect investment towards its cloud platform and artificial intelligence initiatives.
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