“If the place really does exist, and you use a fictional name, does that still count as Libel?”
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You are 99% free of danger in this case. And anybody can sue anyone on anything but it is 99% difficult to prove.

@ Don, Sorry I used copyright, trademark is the right word. But the problem and solution are the same.
Tom Clancy is I may add, very difficult to sue right now. Why he will be shy but if we are not Tom Clancy or very rich and are beginners we should be really very careful.
Also anything can be used without problem when PERMISSION is obtained. Hopefully Tom Clancy does that in the beginning.

Using a fictional name in a series like “Rabson” lock and making up the name(the same way coca cola have made their own brand value), is very good. But Rabson is your own invention so you are free with it and u have given value to it. Whereas Coca Coal is given value by Coca Cola people.

A better example is this – Recently the Open Source PC game “Nexuiz” is being ported to consoles by another commercial developer, and the Open Source Community of Nexuiz is very angry at the usage of the name for a commercial title, as till now it denoted “free and PC – cross platform”(the community worked hard to make it worthy and good) and commercial one means “paid and console only”. So they are arguably rightfully angry. They even agree to let another developer use a derivative name like “Nexuiz Arena” but they do not want anybody to tamper with the original unmodified name “Nexuiz”, and I feel they are right.

That is the big problem of using real names.
Use real with permission and fictional name as you want seem very safe policy to me and better safe then sorry.

@ Alastair Mayer, “The door dilated.” is too famous and overly used example, so I decided to give something different. Also “The door irised out” does not seem like homage as considering the aliens lifestyle and body structure in Blue Planet a door irising out seemed very logical whereas dilating door shows technology but is not critical to its purpose.
Purposeful things make solid story!

“A writer has to earn the right to infodump, either by presenting the information in an entertaining way or building up sufficient interest in the story first. Preferably both. If you can do it — and it’s harder to do well than it sounds — then better is the info-trickle, where the information is artfully distributed (as with the Sawyer/Heinlein example) through the story rather than plopped down in an expository lump.”

– is the best way to present info as “Alastair Mayer” sums it. Thanks Alastair:)
Also do not forget to use raise questions. If you will read the famous short story “Nightfall” of Isaac Asimov you will see how cleverly he keeps the suspense high by asking questions in beginning and providing science concepts in easiest layman way. Though this is done by him in the Foundation series novels also very well(my favorite):)

And speaking of homage, Lawrence Block pays homage to Stout in his Bernie Rhodenbarr “The Burglar Who …” novels, with Bernie the burglar remarking on the quality of Rabson locks.

Michael Crichton was another author who could do multi-page infodumps and have the reader like it, because he did them well, like something from “Discover” magazine. A writer has to earn the right to infodump, either by presenting the information in an entertaining way or building up sufficient interest in the story first. Preferably both. If you can do it — and it’s harder to do well than it sounds — then better is the info-trickle, where the information is artfully distributed (as with the Sawyer/Heinlein example) through the story rather than plopped down in an expository lump.

On the other hand, I always remember a comment about Rex Stout (the Nero Wolfe detective series) making up “Rabson” as a brand name for a door lock (to show a respected door lock, but that the detective had to pick). The commentator thought that Stout had hit the right note to convey strength of the fictional lock and generate believability in the reader’s mind.

Thanks kinjalkishor, I was wondering from the previous blog entry about places and products. I was debating whether to make up fictional names for real places, or just go ahead and use them, but I’m guessing it’s much safer to use the fictional name (though it would ruin some good jokes we had about them). If the place really does exist, and you use a fictional name, does that still count as Libel?

Copyright Concerns -
Using real world and places is possible with permission as names are generally copyright. For Ex. Coca Cola is a brand name which the company has made and they are pretty aggressive about its portrayal out of their knowledge. Like if many people get ill by drinking coca Cola in writers novel the company will be very crazy, on the other hand if people are cured by drinking Coca Cola then also social workers etc. will raise concerns on such portrayal of Coca Cola, Remain neutral and avoid copyright whenever possible, find replacements. Use cleverly disguised names like “Roca Cola” or the more general term “coke” which has dictionary meaning also apart from its now construed meaning of Coca Cola soft drink.

If a minor character is named Gildor in one novel that may be no problem but if someone’s hero is Aragon and heroine Gladriel, and their son is Harry Potter they will soon here from Tokien and Rowling.

In short put your foot as far as away from copyright and libel. And one can always write better than what is already written and make better names then already famous.

Don’t bother me tomorrow, though. I’ll be reading.