Tariffs, Tantrums, and the Real War No One's Talking About

This post was written by Camp Developer Relations Engineer Charlene Nicer and was first published April 11, 2025 on Substack.

The trade wars are back. But while everyone focuses on tariffs and political theater, a bigger battle is being waged over something far more valuable: data and IP.

The Surface Story

Headlines scream about:

New tariffs on goods
Retaliation and counter-measures
Political posturing

But this is the sideshow.

What’s Really at Stake

Data Sovereignty

Countries are realizing: data is the new oil. Whoever controls the data controls the AI. Whoever controls the AI controls the future.

IP Value Explosion

In an AI world, owning the training data is owning the output. Original IP has never been more valuable – or more vulnerable.

Creator Economies

Individual creators are caught in the crossfire. Their work feeds the machines, but they rarely see the benefits.

The Pattern

Creation: Artists, writers, musicians create
Aggregation: Platforms collect and monetize
Training: AI companies scrape and train
Generation: AI produces “new” content
Displacement: Originals become less valuable

At no point in this chain do creators have control.

Why This Matters for Web3

Blockchain and decentralized systems offer a different path:

Provenance as Protection

When you can prove creation and ownership, you have leverage. Immutable records change the negotiation dynamics.

Programmable Rights

Smart contracts can enforce terms that legal systems struggle to manage. Global, automatic, unavoidable.

Direct Monetization

Cutting out middlemen means creators capture more value. When every dollar counts, disintermediation matters.

The Camp Perspective

We see the geopolitical noise for what it is: distraction from the real value transfer happening.

Our focus:

Build infrastructure that works regardless of political climate
Enable creators to establish ownership before, not after, their work is used
Create systems that work globally, not dependent on any single jurisdiction

What You Can Do

Short Term

Register your work with verifiable provenance
Document your creative process
Be intentional about licensing

Long Term

Support infrastructure that protects creators
Advocate for clear IP rights in AI context
Build in systems that respect ownership

The Optimistic View

Chaos creates opportunity. As the old systems fail to protect creators, new systems can emerge. We’re building those systems.

The tariff wars will end. The IP wars are just beginning. Better to be prepared.

Join us in building infrastructure that protects creators regardless of what the politicians do.