The move is designed to hit Desmond's plan to launch a freesheet London evening paper called The Evening Mail, which is targeting Associated's Evening Standard and freesheet Metro papers.
The injunction follows last week's report that Associated Newspapers, whch publishes the Daily Mail, is drawing up plans to launch a downmarket tabloid competitor to Desmond's Express Newspapers red-top Daily Star. Associated journalists are reported to have mocked up a number of "Star"-type dummies.
The launch project is an attempt to hit back at Desmond and his plan to launch The Evening Mail.
However, according to a report in The Observer newspaper, Desmond has already taken legal advice and believes there is little chance that the injunction against the use of the "Mail" name will stick.
Desmond's lawyers could easily argue that Associated does not have exclusive rights to the "Mail" name and point out that it is used by several other regional newspapers in the UK, including the Hull Daily Mail and Trinity Mirror's Sunday Mail in Scotland.
The injunction was served by Associated lawyers Bird & Bird on the parent of Express Newspapers, Northern & Shell, which is also behind Desmond's porn magazine and TV business, as well as celebrity title OK!.
The injunction is an indication of just how worried and rattled Desmond's launch has Associated Newspapers, which is only likely to encourage Desmond.
There has been some industry speculation that the whole project is just an elaborate ruse by Desmond to aggravate his bitter rival Associated Newspapers, despite the recent appointment of former tabloid journalist and television executive Nick Ferrari as editor of the Evening Mail. Ferrari already has a job presenting the LBC morning radio show.
Two weeks ago, the battle between Desmond and Associated proprietor Lord Rothermere turned nasty as Desmond called the Daily Mail proprietor "arrogant" and said: "I have plans for dealing with the likes of you and your associates."
He also reminded people of the Rothermere family's links to Hitler. "Vere Rothermere is also the man whose father said Hitler was right in dealing with the Jewish problem in Germany and how those same plans should be replicated in Britain," he said in a speech to the Jewish educational organisation ORT.
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