B&E: When you started Wikipedia, what was your vision behind the web project?
Jimmy Wales (JW): The original vision statement for Wikipedia still sustains me: “Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge.”
B&E: What was your key motivation to take the entrepreneurial plunge, even at the cost of your PhD?
JW: Passion – I always do the most interesting thing I can find to do.
B&E: While the nobility of a venture can make it the ultimate experience for an entrepreneur, the one question for Wikipedia has been its revenue model. How long can you sustain the website on this model?
JW: I see absolutely no problem with our revenue model. People have been asking that question for years, and we continue to be more and more successful with it.
B&E: There has been a substantial amount of debate with respect to SOPA and PIPA . What are the immediate and long term threats that these acts pose to the Internet?
JW: The solution to problems of piracy cannot lie with any form of censorship. It’s as simple as that. Any law which makes it possible to shut down or damage (through withdrawal of access to markets) a website without due process of law must be opposed
B&E: Why are authorities hell bent on pushing for SOPA?
JW: I think the reason SOPA was being pushed through so quickly has to do with money. The entertainment industry raises a lot of money for politicians and have been quite explicit that the money comes with strings attached. I consider this to be corruption and intend to fight it. Rather than changing fundamentally flawed bills, I think we should start over from scratch. Copyright legislation has been moving in the wrong direction for years. It’s time to move the balance of power in copyright away from Hollywood, back to the people.
B&E: The Indian government too has recently introduced a quite stifling online policy and has started acting unilaterally against leading internet firms in India. How will this impact India’s IT sector?
JW: I am watching these events unfold in India with great sadness. I’ve been very excited about the IT sector in India for many years and see it emerging into a true leadership role. Short sighted politicians seem to not really believe in the Indian people, and seem to think that as long as India can handle back office operations for the world, everything is fine. I have a bigger, more inspiring vision for the IT sector in India. I think the industry is maturing to the point that the next great consumer internet start-ups – the next Google, the next Facebook, the next Wikipedia – could come from India.
B&E: What should be done to curb online piracy?
JW: Many things. If people are making money selling access to pirated materials, then go after the money. But the entertainment industry should also recognise that they need to aggressively change their business models – a great deal of piracy occurs because people who want to buy something aren’t allowed to buy it. Movie studios should follow a policy of “every work available in every country at a reasonable price”. Offer it, make it easy, and people will buy it. There is ample proof of this principle.
