Autodesk sued Google on Friday (February 6), accusing the tech giant of infringing its Flow trademark for its artificial intelligence-powered software, Reuters reported on Monday (February 9).
According to the report, the plaintiffs said in their complaint that they began using the name “Flow” for software used to make movies, TV shows, and video games in September 2022, and that Google launched its own Flow software designed for the same industry in May 2025.
Autodesk claims Google caused confusion and irreparable harm to consumers and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, according to the report.
“We remain committed to protecting our innovations and ensuring fair competition in global markets,” the company told Reuters.
Google did not immediately respond to PYMNTS’ request for comment.
Autodesk Flow is a media and entertainment production hub, Autodesk said in a January press release. Software updates over the past year include improvements to content organization and editorial collaboration, enhanced integrations, and new free tiers for creators, students, and educators.
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“Overall, the 2025 updates to Autodesk Flow reflect broader access, stronger connections between creative teams, and a clear shift toward tools that can meet creators wherever they are: in the classroom, in the editing suite, or in the middle of production,” the company said in a release.
When Google announced Flow in May, the company described the product as an artificial intelligence filmmaking tool built for creatives. The company said in a press release that the tool helps storytellers explore ideas and create cinematic clips and scenes.
“AI heralds a new chapter in creativity and filmmaking, and while it’s still early days, we believe tools like Flow have tremendous potential to unlock new voices and creations,” Google said in a press release.
In October 2024, it was reported that Google had successfully defended a trademark lawsuit brought by British short film company Shorts International over the tech giant’s YouTube Shorts platform.
The court ruled that Google’s use of “Shorts” in connection with its short-form video platform did not infringe on Shorts International’s established trademarks.
Shorts International had filed a lawsuit claiming that YouTube’s use of the term “Shorts” was misleading to viewers and could potentially infringe on its trademarks.
