Software company Autodesk has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of infringing its trademark for a product line called ‘Flow’.
In a complaint filed in a San Francisco federal court, Autodesk stated it began using the ‘Flow’ name in September 2022 for a suite of visual effects and production management products. According to a Reuters report on the matter, the company alleges it was surprised when Google launched its own competing AI-powered software, also named ‘Flow’, in May 2025, targeting the same entertainment industry customers.
Autodesk claims Google assured it would not commercialise the ‘Flow’ name, but then applied to trademark the term in the Kingdom of Tonga that same month, adds the Reuters report. The complaint alleges Google used this Tongan application to subsequently seek trademark protection in the United States and has since marketed its ‘Flow’ software at industry events.
“Google’s false representation… was intended to buy time to allow it to swamp Autodesk’s place in the market,” the complaint stated. Autodesk is seeking unspecified damages for alleged consumer confusion and harm to its brand.
As per Reuters, a spokesperson for Autodesk said the company is “committed to protecting our innovations and ensuring fair competition.” Google has not yet publicly commented on the lawsuit.