Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Whisky brand Glenfiddich in trademark claim against ex-defence secretary
A whisky brand has lodged a trademark violation case against former defence secretary Ben Wallace for setting up a company with the same name as a Scottish single malt.
The ex-Tory MP for Wyre and Preston North set up Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd ahead of leaving the Commons in 2024. He has previously said he used Glenfiddich as a codename in discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart following the Russian invasion.
A case lodged at the High Court by William Grant & Sons Ltd shows the drinks manufacturer is claiming Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd had breached the firm's intellectual property rights. It claims it is a violation of its trademark for the whisky brand, which is based in Dufftown and has been around since 1886.
Offshore worker numbers cut as bad weather hits supplies
A number of North Sea oil companies are removing staff from their installations because bad weather has hampered efforts to get supplies to them.
One operator - Ithaca - said it was reducing the number of personnel offshore, with only essential workers staying. Strong winds and driving rain have been affecting the area for some time making it difficult for supply vessels to get to the sites.
In a statement, Ithaca said it was taking the action following an "extended period of significantly challenging weather conditions across the region".
Fire service warns funding gap could mean cut of 500 firefighters
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has warned it might have to reduce its workforce by another 500 firefighters to balance its budget over the next three years.
The service says it is facing a £6m funding gap in the next financial year and could receive flat cash settlements until 2029 under Scottish government spending proposals.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the number of firefighters in Scotland has already fallen by 1,200 over the last 12 years and has warned compulsory redundancies will lead to strike action.
Google owner Alphabet reveals $113.8bn revenue in fourth quarter
Google’s parent company Alphabet said on Wednesday it was targeting capital expenditure of $175billion to $185billion this year, in yet another aggressive ramp-up in spending as it deepens its investments to push ahead in the AI race.
Analysts on average had expected Alphabet to spend about $115.26billion this year, according to LSEG data.
The company announced its spending plans as it reported fourth-quarter revenue of $113.8billion, up 18% year-on-year and narrowly ahead of Wall Street expectations of $111.3billion. Net income rose 30% to $34.5billion over the same period, beating consensus forecasts of $31.9billion.