The full line: information wants to be free and wants to be expensive. The exact phrasing was reported in the Washington Post, Nov 18, 1984; Brand had just published Whole Earth Software Catalog. (Sources: Quote Investigator, Wikipedia, Wired retrospective.) - Important nuance for our editorial stance: Brand's line is usually half-quoted. He said both halves. A magazine that claims this lineage should hold both: distribution is free, value is not. That tension is the interesting territory.

This is the founding quote of the entire project.