Autodesk sues Alphabet over "Flow" trademark infringement in AI filmmaking clash

Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) has initiated a high-stakes legal battle against Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), filing a trademark infringement lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on February 6, 2026.

The complaint alleges that Google’s recent launch of its "Flow" AI filmmaking platform directly violates Autodesk’s established branding for its own cloud-based media production ecosystem.

According to the filing, Autodesk began utilizing the "Flow" name in September 2022 to unify its media and entertainment offerings, which include industry-standard tools for visual effects, production tracking, and generative scheduling.

The company claims it was "blindsided" when Google unveiled a competing generative AI tool—also named "Flow"—at its I/O conference in May 2025.

This software, integrated with Google DeepMind’s Veo and Gemini models, is designed to help creators generate cinematic clips and maintain character consistency—a market segment that overlaps significantly with Autodesk’s professional user base.

The lawsuit includes a pointed allegation regarding Google’s trademark strategy.

Autodesk asserts that after being warned of the conflict, Google applied to trademark the "Flow" term in the Kingdom of Tonga—a tactic often used by large corporations to secure "stealth" filings away from public scrutiny.

Autodesk is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, citing "irreparable harm" and significant consumer confusion within the creative industry.

The legal clash comes at a transformative time for Autodesk, which recently announced a restructuring plan to cut 1,000 jobs (approximately 7% of its workforce) to reallocate resources toward cloud and AI leadership.

While Autodesk is valued at approximately $51 billion, it faces a David-and-Goliath struggle against the $3.9 trillion Alphabet.

Google has yet to issue a formal response to the complaint.