Autodesk, the 3D design software giant, just threw down the legal gauntlet against Google over what it says is clear-cut trademark infringement. The company filed suit in California last week claiming Google's AI video generator - also called Flow - will confuse customers with Autodesk's own AI-powered filmmaking platform that's been on the market since 2022. It's a high-stakes clash that shows how competitive the AI video space has become, with legacy software companies ready to fight tech giants over brand territory.
Autodesk isn't backing down from a fight with one of tech's biggest players. The company, best known for AutoCAD and other professional 3D design tools, just filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Google over the name of its AI video generator, according to court documents obtained by Reuters.
The lawsuit, filed in California federal court, cuts straight to the chase: Google's Flow AI tool will likely confuse customers with Autodesk's own Flow brand of AI-enabled filmmaking products. For a company like Autodesk that's spent years building its Flow platform, Google's entry with an identically named product looks like a direct challenge to its market position.
Here's where the timeline matters. Autodesk rolled out Flow back in 2022 as a cloud-based collaboration platform aimed at filmmakers and creative professionals. Since then, it's expanded the Flow umbrella to include Flow Studio, which uses AI to transform live-action footage into 3D scenes - a pretty specialized capability that's core to modern film production workflows. The company's been investing heavily in this space, positioning itself at the intersection of traditional 3D design expertise and emerging AI capabilities.
Then Google launched its own Flow tool in May 2025. According to the complaint, Google's AI video generator shares not just the name but also operates in overlapping market territory - creating AI-powered video content for creative professionals. That's what Autodesk calls likelihood of confusion, and it's the foundation of trademark law.
