This is the question that no one is answering. Aakash has been developed by IIT Rajasthan and DataWind won the tender to manufacture the world’s cheapest tablet. The company then subcontracted the manufacture of the tablets to Quaid Electronics.

Registered in UK and having presence in USA, India and Canada, DataWind was marketing (not manufacturing) a product called Pocketsurfer, a pda/cell phone/web browser device.

The company’s official website describes PocketSurfer as a web access device and a wireless cell phone accessory that provides anytime and anywhere access to the real world-wide-web intended for all those that need to access their Email, stock quotes, directions, news, corporate information etc

Before the episode of Aakash tablet with Indian government, DataWind was never into tablet manufacturing, though it has been marketing UbiSurfer Notebook.

Now with the knowhow provided by IIT Rajasthan, Datawind started getting Aakash made by subcontractors. Though Indian government has not yet received Aakash II so far, its commercial variant UbiSlat 7+ & 7C are being sold by DataWind in the open market.

Who owns the patent rights of Aakash or its commercial twin UbiSlat? DataWind or IIT Rajasthan or Government of India?

Should not the Government of India (GoI) get royalty on DataWind’s Ubislat Tablet sales? All said and done, world’s cheapest tablet idea is the intellectual property of the GoI.

Irrespective of the fate of Aakash Tablet, DataWind is making big bucks with UbiSlat. Its pre-bookings are closed upto July.