Whitepaper - Creating the World's Premier Entertainment Technology Blockchain - Glos
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Creating the World’s Premier Entertainment Technology Blockchain Whitepaper Version 1 July 2019 2019 © Copyright GLOS. All rights reserved.
GLOS is creating the World’s Premier Entertainment Technology Blockchain. GLOS’ vision is to incentivize all entertainment-related apps to utilize blockchain through its Apps-2-DApps Business Model. GLOS www.glos.one contact@glos.one
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Contents 1 Contents 4 8 DApps 22 GLOS Star Incubation 23 Social App by GEIXI GLOS Artist Alliance 24 2 Executive Summary 6 9 Benefits 25 3 App / DApp industry Overview 7 Lower User Acquisition Cost 26 App Market Overview 8 Lower User Retention Cost 26 DApps Market Overview 9 New Monetization Opportunities 27 4 App / DApp Industry Pain Points 10 10 Technical Overview 28 App Building is Expensive 11 Blockchain Architecture 29 User Acquisition is Difficult 11 Why Blockchain 30 Some Apps Have Been Misusing 11 Why Create the GLOS Blockchain 30 User Data Technical / Blockchain Literacy 11 is Required to Use DApps DApps are Increasing Technical 11 11 Roadmap 31 Overheads and Cost to Users 5 Entertainment Market Overview 13 12 Tokenomics 33 Booming Entertainment Industry 14 Token Value and Functionality 34 Token Allocation 34 Use of Proceeds 35 Platform Business Model 35 6 Entertainment Industry Pain Points16 Lack of General Public Participation 17 Opaque Decision-Making 17 Limited International Collaboration 17 13 Team, Advisors, & Partners 36 Other Poor Practices in 17 Team 37 the Entertainment Industry Advisors 38 Partners 40 Commercial User 40 7 Solution and framework modules 19 Payments 20 Voting 20 Campaign Management 20 Project Financing 21 IP Management 21 Token Issuance 21 4
Executive Summary Overview The GLOS blockchain aspires to be an entertainment industry-specific blockchain. It is creating the world’s premier entertainment technology blockchain with the aim of improving the acquisition, retention, and monetization for entertainment industry apps. GLOS provides tools and protocols for free to apps built on its blockchain. It also helps app creators understand their data as well as the aggregated on-chain data better. App creators on the GLOS blockchain get to monetize the data that they collect as well as benefit from cross app selling and marketing recommendations. GLOS will incubate its first app called the Star Incubation Social (SIS) app to be launched on the GLOS blockchain. This will be followed by the launch of the GLOS Artiste Alliance (GAA) app followed by subsequent DApps that contribute to the decentralization of the entertainment industry. The Problem Many entertainment apps have their own user base but are unable to reach critical mass to sustain their costs. Customer acquisition is a costly exercise for these apps and most lack effective monetization strategies. Vision and Mission On the other hand, Blockchain projects are trying to create ecosystem-wide solutions overnight, aiming to produce one- GLOS’ vision is to incentivize all size-fits-all solutions. In reality, this hasn’t quite entertainment-related apps to materialized with blockchain adoption still at a very low level. This is mainly attributed to poor user experience (UX) utilize blockchain through its and high barrier to admission due to cumbersome App-2-DApp Business Model. processes before they can use the apps. The adoption rate of dApps built on top of blockchain has been very slow. Rather than helping to save costs, at this early stage of the adoption lifecycle, blockchain solutions are increasing technical overheads for DApps and costs to users. Key Value Proposition GLOS blockchain’s key value The Solution proposition is that the blockchain GLOS blockchain offers the solution to these problems by is specific to the entertainment solving the problems around customer acquisition, retention, and monetization. industry, this means that each Firstly, the GLOS blockchain reduces the cost of quality app module is tailored to the development by providing framework modules that existing entertainment industry and the apps or in-development apps can leverage and expedite their time to production. team supporting DApps using GLOS blockchain understands Secondly, the GLOS blockchain will be able to provide data around app synergy for users, using GLOS wallets as proxy the entertainment industry to for users. This will allow apps to maximize the conversion, create purposeful smart retention and monetization of their user base. GLOS will not host or share any app’s client data. Instead, GLOS will contracts and dashboards, provide a service to push synergistic DApps, based on removing some of the technology transactions on the GLOS blockchain, to promote growth in the community. overheads that is burdensome for GLOS is the connecting piece that provides the middle layer DApp projects. to bridge existing apps with real users to a public blockchain. GLOS will produce a series of easy-to-integrate protocols that post seamlessly onto the blockchain. The GLOS ecosystem will also include partners to provide apps with quick and cost-efficient access to tools like a digital wallet. 6
App/DApp Industry Overview 3.1 App Market Overview Mobile apps categories Mobile apps can be categorized by their functions. The app Definition categories that occupy more than 10% of app users’ time are social networking, music, multimedia, and games. The An application (app), also referred to as an application detailed breakdown are as follows: program or application software, is a computer software package that performs a specific function directly for an end user or, in some cases, for another application (Search Percentage of Total App Time Software Quality, 2019). Examples include the gaming apps 25% on smartphones, word processors on laptops, or web 23% browsers. 20% 20% There are many different types of applications. Depending 18% on the platforms they run on, apps can generally be categorized into website apps and mobile apps. Mobile 15% applications are the more popular ones nowadays due to the increasing popularity and functionality of smartphones. 10% 10% Therefore, the following analysis will be centered around 10% mobile apps. Market size 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% The mobile app market is a huge market with a revenue of USD 69.7 billion in 2015. The market revenue is expected 0% to grow to USD 188.9 billion in 2020, representing a CAGR of 18.1% (Statista, 2019). Mobile Apps Industry Revenue Figure 2: Percentage of total app time (Source: Mobile Action, 2019) (in USD billion) 200 188.9 Trends 180 There are five key trends in the mobile app industry: 160 1. More new functions: With the increasing performance 140 of hardware, new functions such as augmented reality 120 or virtual reality will be more popular. More augmented reality games like Pokemon Go will come to the market. 100 88.3 2. Increase in the use of AI/ machine learning: More 80 69.7 in-app chatbots will be available across all app 60 categories to improve user experience. Besides, AI algorithm-based personalization will be more common 40 to provide app users with information or content they 20 are interested in. 0 3. Tightened privacy policy: Following the adoption of 2015 2016 2020 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, tech giants who are usually the major Figure 1: Mobile Apps Industry Revenue (in USD billion) (Source: app developers are facing tightened privacy Statista, 2019) requirements. 4. Increase in the use of progressive web apps/ instant Users usually download mobile apps via mobile app stores apps: To improve user experience, some app developers with the top two dominating mobile app stores being Google allow users to perform certain functions directly on a Play Store and Apple App Store. As of Q3 2018, there are web browser without the need to download the apps. 2.1 million apps on Google Play Store and 2 million apps on This lowers the decision cost of the users and allows Apple App Store (Mobile Action, 2019). users to experience the app before purchase. It is expected that the market size of mobile apps will keep 5. Wearables-specific apps: With the growing popularity growing moderately, primarily driven by growing of wearables, there is an increasing demand for smartphone user penetration. Smartphone users are wearable-specific apps as the wearables have their expected to reach 4 billion by 2020 (Statista, 2019). At the limitations (such as dimension and storage) and unique same time, the mobile app downloads are expected to grow opportunities (such as heart rate detection). from 197 billion in 2017 to 258 billion by 2022 (Statista, 2019).
Categories of Dapps (as of 31 Dec 2018) 3.2 DApps Market Overview 40% 37% 35% Definition 30% According to Blockchain Hub (2019), decentralized apps (DApps) are applications that run on a P2P network instead 25% 22% of a single computer. Nowadays, people tend to call the 20% 17% applications run on blockchain as DApps. It is designed to 15% exist on the Internet in a way that is not controlled by any single entity. To be classified as a DApp, it usually needs to 10% 7% fulfil the following criteria: 5% 4% 4% 3% 4% 2% 0% • Application must be completely open source • Application’s data and records of operation must be cryptographically stored • Application must use a cryptographic token • Application must generate tokens Figure 4: Categories of DApps (As of Dec 31, 2018) (Source: Market size dApp.com, 2019) The more established DApp platforms include Ethereum, EOS, AION, NEO, and TRON (Invest in Blockchain, 2019). Trends Figure 3 below shows some of the DApps currently deployed on those platforms. There are three key trends in the DApp market: 1. More blockchain-based IoT deployment: researchers As the industry is still in an infancy stage, there is no predict that IoT DApps will be growing very fast in the agreed approach to calculate the market size of DApps. If coming years as blockchain offers a high level of security we use the volume of transaction of major DApp platforms and smart contracts allow large-scale automation for IoT as a proxy to the market size, we can take USD 6.8 billion (i-scoop, 2019). as the market size in 2018 (dapp.com, 2019). It is expected 2. Ethereum is still the dominating DApp platform, but that the DApp market will experience very rapid growth in other platforms will catch up: As the Ethereum the coming years. community participants are the key drivers behind DApp adoption, Ethereum has the most deployed DApps nowadays. However, scalability issues with Ethereum DApp Categories has opened up room for other DApp platforms to catch up. By the end of 2018, there are more than 1,400 DApps on 3. Improving user experience and usability: DApps will major DApp platforms. Games and betting DApps soon no longer be a technologist play as developer teams contribute to more than 50% of the DApps market size. The are working towards better user experience and user detailed breakdown of DApp categories can be found in interface. Some blockchains allow programmers to use Figure 4. programming languages already familiar to them and provide them with easy-to-deploy solutions, thereby fostering better development of DApps. Figure 3: Major DApp Platforms and their DApps (Source: Cardano, 2019)
App/DApp Industry Overview have been handing over to apps in exchange for their 4.1 App Building is Expensive services. As users become more aware of this, GLOS and its community of app builders will provide an alternative Apps are expensive for SMEs to design, build, test, and service where users can choose whether or not to monetize maintain. There is often a danger of over-spending to their data and have their choices and information respected. provide users with better UI / UX and more functionality - the list is endless. Even after users have been onboarded, the infrastructure needs to be stress-tested for heavy usage. There are more light-weight and scalable cloud solutions available, making App building cheaper and more dynamic 4.4 Technical / Blockchain Literacy is than ever before. Required to Use DApps GLOS blockchain would like to add to the ecosystem of infrastructure providers and out-of-the-box tools that App The adoption of DApps built on top of blockchain has been builders can use without overpaying. The objective is to very slow. There are two key pain points from the users’ make building great apps available to more people. By perspective: providing a blockchain infrastructure that can host certain tools that Apps can use, GLOS will be providing cheap, 1. Poor user experience (UX) secure, and scalable infrastructure for App builders to spend less time on what their users should see or feel when 2. Barrier to admission using an App. The first pain point is on the poor UX and user interface (UI) design. DApps have had the unenviable task of trying to not only build a killer app, but also use relatively nascent and 4.2 User Acquisition is Difficult sometimes in-house built blockchain infrastructure. While the benefits of DApps are undeniable, app builders far too User acquisition has long been the holy grail of app often find themselves distracted by issues of security, adoption. According to Statisia, as at August 2018, the cost scalability, and decentralization while neglecting or per install for an iOS app was USD 4.44 and the cost per in-app purchase was USD 132.23 (Statista, 2018). After the minimizing the importance of UI / UX in their end user cost of user acquisition, app builders need to cover the cost product design. Unfortunately, early iterations of DApps of user acquisition, operations, development, and have provided such a poor user experience that users don’t infrastructure to build a profitable app. For many, this is an come back and avoid DApps altogether, but this doesn’t insurmountable task and is likely to prevent many great need to be the case. apps from being developed because of the prohibitive costs that accompany it. Secondly, many early DApps have issued their own native token. This has created an additional barrier to admission GLOS will leverage the power of data, cryptography, and for would-be users who find that they need to do much programmatic advertising to cross-sell Apps using the more than open a webpage or download an app and register GLOS blockchain and respective framework modules. GLOS will use the transaction data associated with wallets to before they can actually use the application. Instead, they market DApp services and products cross-platform. One of are met with lengthy instructions and a cumbersome GLOS’ key priorities is to build a community of developers process for purchasing tokens, exchanging tokens, and and users who value the benefits that blockchain brings to downloading wallets, all slowly eroding the users’ Apps such as native payment processing, data ownership, determination to use the DApp. cross-platform credentials, transparency, audited code on mission critical functions, etc. 4.3 Some Apps Have Been Misusing 4.5 DApps are Increasing Technical User Data Overheads and Cost to Users 2018 saw the Cambridge Analytica data leak happening Developing DApps require blockchain expertise and where it was revealed that Data Analytica harvested the developers with the relevant experience and skills. However, personal data of millions of Facebook profiles without the there is a huge talent gap in the blockchain industry, users’ consent and used the information for political blockchain developer freelancing grew at a year-over-year advertising purposes. Following this, Facebook announced rate of 6,000% in 2018 (Forbes, 2018). The competition for that it had suspended 200 apps for possible data misuse blockchain developers increases the costs to companies to (Futurism, 2018). All these while, apps have been taking develop DApps. Additionally, suitable platforms and tools to more user data than needed and profiting from these users’ create DApps to encourage widespread adoption are few and information. far between (Jaxenter, 2018). In other words, With the recent spotlight on this issue, users are increasingly conscious of the value of the data that they 11
developers do not have existing resources required to caused during the Crypto Kitties craze which raised the shorten the learning curve and have enough talent available ethereum gas price by a factor of 16 (Hackernoon, 2018), to fill this talent gap in the market. users are hesitant to use a service when they don’t know how much it will cost and if the pricing is too dynamic, let From the users’ perspective, congestion at times of high alone outright volatile. GLOS blockchain aims to provide its usage can bring the entire network and the DApps built on services at a nominal fee that won’t impact the user top of it to a halt. Exemplified by the network loading experience and will always be within reasonable bounds. 12
Entertainment Market Overview
Entertainment Market Overview • Young people will become the mainstream customers 5.1 Booming Entertainment Industry in China: It is anticipated that the youth will account for more than one third of the total number of customers by The movie and entertainment market in the Asia Pacific 2020. These consumers have the following distinctive region has been growing rapidly, leveraging the increasing features: appetite for local content and the rising disposable income • Attracted to new products and technologies of middle-class consumers (Research and Markets, 2018). • Strong brand loyalty In addition to these socio-economic factors, technological • Heavy users of and highly dependent on mobile advancements such as enhanced graphical effects and phones augmented image quality has beckoned the entertainment • Optimistic about their future earnings industry into a new age of growth (Matthau, 2015). Digital • Passive access to information (i.e. information production and distribution is now an economically feasible being pushed to them, such as movies, TV and reality, reaching a much wider audience than before. The video programs) ever-decreasing cost of media device ownership (Statista, • Affinity with social media 2018) as well as improving telecommunication infrastructure have resulted in the growth of entertainment • Content will be the main differentiator when it comes production and consumption. to competitive edge: Customization and localization seem to be the winning ingredients, especially for foreign programs which have been bought and adapted, such as Running Man and the Voice of China. However, locally produced movies are still dominating the local movie market. In 2015, more than half of the movies in China Rising Enhanced were locally made, while 70% of the top 10 movies in the Increasing disposable graphical same year were locally produced. This was still the case appetite for income of effects and as of November 2018 (CBO, 2018). local middle-class augmented content consumers image • Bundling and ecosystems will be the key: Vertical quality integration and end-to-end services are of utmost Improving Growing telecom- importance to create a better user experience and penetration of munication increase user retention. The “Fans’ economy” is one that media devices infrastructure provides a cultural entertainment ecosystem that provides all kinds of entertainment for users to maximize value for them. Figure 5: Drivers for the booming Asia Pacific movie and • Growing role of China’s entertainment media market entertainment market (Source: Research and Markets) around the globe: In 2014, China surpassed Japan to become the biggest entertainment media market in Asia, yet is still expected to grow at two times the global rate. China, in particular, has seen tremendous growth in its Although China is relatively new in this market, this entertainment and media industry in recent years. The growth rate will inevitably make the Chinese industry is forecasted to grow at a compounded annual entertainment and media a force to be reckoned with in growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9%, almost double the forecasted the coming years. global rate of 4.4%, from 2017 to 2020 (PwC, 2016). This growth is expected to reach US$264 billion in 2020, an • Technology is causing transformation in traditional increase of 91.3% from US$138 billion in 2013. business models: Digitization, live content, and new media distribution are all new driving forces for the entertainment media industry. These new forces are challenging the offline model, as evidenced by the unprecedented popularity attracted by the online 264 streaming of Jacky Cheung’s concert (PwC, 2016). 24 22 7 21 8 19 0 17 1 15,239 15 3 13,827 13 6 12,222 8 10,413 8,486 6,39 4,31 8 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 3,18 3 1 Figure 6: Entertainment and Media Market in China (US$ billion) (Source: PwC) 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 There are five key shifts in trends that underpin the growth 2020 of the Chinese entertainment and media market in the medium term (PwC, 2016): Figure 7: Cinema Market in China (US$ million) (Source: PwC) 14
The cinema market is one of the fastest-growing segments conglomerate of commercial management, culture, real under China’s entertainment media market, which achieved estate and finance, owns 16,000 screens and 1,551 a staggering CAGR of 34.5% from 2013 to 2017 (three times cinemas around the world, covering the entire industry the overall growth) and is expected to maintain a CAGR of chain from production to distribution to screening, and 13.5% from 2017 to 2020, reaching a scale of US$15 billion holds subsidiaries such as AMC Entertainment, Odeon, in 2020. UCI Cinemas Group, and Wanda Cinema line (Wanda There are four main contributing factors for this growth Group, 2018). (PwC, 2016): • Increasing number of new screens in China: In 2015 • Penetration of 3D and online channels: China was the largest 3D box office market in the world with US$2 alone, the number of screens increased at a rate of at billion. In addition, 6 in 10 tickets are sold via online least 15 screens per day, but the number of screens as channels in China. With almost 90% of all the screens in compared to the population is still relatively low, with China being 3D-compatible, it is no wonder that China is around 50,000 screens in 2017. This number is expected IMAX 3D’s second-largest and fastest growing market. to reach 80,000 by 2021 (PwC, 2016). • Restrictions against Hollywood films: Despite the global dominance of Hollywood movies, the influence of Hollywood on the Chinese movie market has been decreasing, as evidenced by its shrinking share from 80,000 45% in 2014 to 38% in 2015. This is mainly because there is a maximum number of Hollywood films that can be allowed into the Chinese market. Also, US studios 50,776 reportedly receive only a quarter of the box office revenue 41,179 in China, reducing their incentive to release their titles. 31,627 Thirdly, most Hollywood movies are released in the same 23,592 period (e.g. the year end) when they must compete 18,19 against one another, leaving other periods dominated by 5 locally produced films. • China’s increasing investment in the US: Chinese companies have been actively investing outside of China 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 in the media sector. For example, through mergers and 2020 acquisitions in the recent years, Wanda Film Group, a Figure 8: Number of Cinema Screens in China (Source: Statista, subsidiary of Wanda Group, a Fortune 500 PwC) 15
Entertainment Industry Pain Points
Entertainment Industry Pain Points movies only accounted for 6% of all the movies screened in 6.1 Lack of General Public Participation China (Deloitte, 2015). Nevertheless, in Q1 2015, 43% of box office sales for movies that were co-produced, were co- The public is generally not involved in the scouting or produced with Hong Kong producers. This implies that if casting of an amateur. This is solely at the discretion of the such Hong Kong-made movies were to be ignored, the extent producers, directors, investors, or sponsors. For talent quests, the major decisions usually only rest with the few of internationalization would diminish further. judges. For social media, it is up to these decision makers whether to offer the opportunity to popular amateurs, as Also, instead of international collaboration, the trend in can be seen by the large number of amateurs who may be China is localizing foreign shows and copying domestically well-liked, but still remain an amateur. produced programs that are popularly among viewers (Yan, 2016), without any true international collaboration. The lack of public participation is an unfortunate Examples include “The Voice of China”, which is based on shortcoming of the acclaimed artiste discovery process as the original Dutch reality television ,quest “The Voice of the ultimate success of an acclaimed artiste actually hinges Holland”, and “Dad, Where Are We Going”, which is based on being accepted and loved by a large subsection of the on an original show from South Korea. Within just the public. Movie stars only become franchise stars when they can sell-out at box office, recording artistes are only singing quest category, there are already more than five successful if they can sell out the largest stadiums or their similar shows like “Super Boy”, “Super Girl”, “Duet”, “Sound records go platinum. Even models are valued for their of My Dream”, “Son of Tomorrow” etc., all with different ability to make products fly off the racks. twists to the format and the formation of the judge panel. This can potentially be attributed to the fact that celebrity The lack of public participation also poses a challenge for judges have been the key factor in appealing to the talent management companies as they have to bear all the audience, thus generating more advertising revenue (Ni, risks of nurturing young, upcoming artistes without any 2015). Therefore, the industry has not seen major initial certainty on how their professional artistes will be international collaboration given it is currently not the perceived by the public. priority. However, to really take the industry to the next level, international collaboration and globalization are essential (Deloitte, 2015). 6.2 Opaque Decision-Making As previously mentioned, even if there is some form of 6.4 Other Poor Practices in the public participation, due to the non-transparent decision making process, the results may not reflect public opinion. Entertainment Industry For example, Jules O’Dwyer, winner of Britain’s Got Talent in the 2015 series, was found to have swapped her partner In addition to the above issues, the entertainment industry dog with another that looked identical in the middle of the is also known to have adopted poor practices that are performance for a tightrope stunt (Low, 2015). It was detrimental to the growth of the industry. investigated by The Office of Communications (Ofcom) at that time ruling that the show breached rule 2.14, which provides that broadcasters must ensure viewers aren’t One notable example is the recent rise of multi-channel ‘materially misled’ about voting, but this did not reverse the networks. Multi-channel networks (MCN), according to O’Dwyer’s victory. Google, are “third-party service providers that are affiliated with multiple YouTube channels to offer services that may The popular talent quest, The Voice of China/ Sing! China, include audience development, content programming, has also been fraught with numerous scandals since its creator collaborations, digital rights management, launch, including singer judges being ordered to vote for a monetization, and/or sales” (Google, 2018). In other words, particular candidate even when the judges did not want to they help content creators on social media by providing (TVBS News, 2017), and putting judges’ commentaries from resources such as personal consultation, monetization on a previous episode into the current episode as if the judges gave the comments in the current episode (Soho, 2015). various social media platforms, brand opportunities, creator platforms, live events, merchandising, rights management, musician services, casting and development, etc. 6.3 Limited International Collaboration (Fullscreen, 2018). Another problem plaguing the entertainment industry is the Despite the apparent gains these would-be key opinion lack of international collaboration. The Chinese leaders may get from joining an MCN, there are also a lot of entertainment and media market is thriving with disadvantages. One obvious drawback is the sharing of ad supporting policies, strong internet penetration, and revenue with the networks. Nonetheless, this presents a funding. However, there is still a lot of room when it comes to collaboration with other countries/regions, such as co- potential area for abuse as large MCNs tend to have a much production of movies. For example, in 2014, co-produced higher bargaining power against the content creator who is still in his or her early stages of development, thereby not getting what he or she ought to have fairly obtained. Another more commonly raised doubt over the work of MCNs is the empty promises they make (Anderson, 2016). These MCNs are motivated to recruit as many people as 17
possible under their control so as to be in a better position globally. to negotiate with brands or marketing partners for more favorable terms and deals. This gives rise to the problem of In fact, casting couch abuse is by no means a recent people being ignored or not receiving enough attention after phenomenon. Marilyn Monroe, the Hollywood sex symbol, being signed on to an MCN. Last but not least, the member has once described her career in the book The Secret Life of may be further exploited when it comes to contractual Marilyn Monroe by saying she “spent a great deal of time on terms because they have no expertise or relevant experience my knees” (Garrido, 2017). It is also not restricted to in contract drafting. Ben Vacas, a professional gamer, Hollywood. Bajirao Mastani actor Ranveer Singh revealed better known as Braindeadly, signed a perpetual contract that he had been a victim of the casting couch abuse and with Machinima that granted Machinima rights to videos said it was a common situation for people who wish to created by Vacas throughout his lifetime, which is to his advance their career (Hindustantimes, 2017). In China, Yu extreme detriment (Marsden, 2013). Zhang, an aspiring actress, posted clips of herself having sex with famous directors on the internet and held press Scandals also abound when it comes to casting. In South conferences to expose such malpractices (Spencer, 2006). Korea, couch casting has long plagued the industry, where Michael Caine, the 85-year-old veteran actor, openly actresses are forced to provide sexual favors in exchange for admitted that everyone in Hollywood was aware of the career advancement opportunities. The widely reported casting couch abuse, and that it would be “terribly unfair” suicide of actress Jang Ja Yeon in 2009 is a gaunt reminder to a talented actress who failed to get the role because she of the severity of the issue in South Korea (The Straits would not engage in sexual favors with the producer (Indian Times, 2017). Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood film producer Express, 2018). However, he also believed “there was and Academy Award winner for producing the film nothing I could do about it”, suggesting the deep-rooted Shakespeare in Love, was embroiled in several sexual abuse nature of the problem. This is in line with what Robert W. allegations linked with more than 80 women (BBC, 2018). It Sweet, US District Judge, said in his ruling against led to the “#MeToo” social media campaign Weinstein – the casting couch “has been in the American lexicon for nearly a century. (Neumeister, 2018)” 18
Solution & Framework Modules
Solution & Framework Modules Blockchain has too frequently been touted as the solution for all industry woes. At GLOS, we believe that blockchain 7.2 Voting can enable transparency, the circulation of value, greater security, reliable up-time and ultimately, a better app Voting has played an integral role in entertainment for as experience. GLOS will achieve this by creating key modules long as the industry’s existence. Audience participation has and tools that app developers can tap into so that they can always captured the audience’s attention throughout any build their applications more efficiently and integrate tools competition or narrative. Voting invites the audience to that would genuinely benefit from blockchain. really have a say in the narrative of a show or what an artiste does. We’ve seen voting take a critical role in talent The GLOS blockchain is focused on supporting quests, live streaming, game shows, and much more. entertainment apps and will provide the following modules Audience interaction will become more and more for apps to expedite their time to market and to share commonplace and blockchain can ensure its authenticity. useful data to acquire, retain, and monetize users effectively and compliantly. Blockchain provides a trustless environment which removes inefficient intermediaries and corrupt organizations acting as governance bodies. In the entertainment industry, voting 7.1 Payments is typically introduced to competitions organized by TV channels, producers, or streaming platforms. These Blockchain enables the instant settlement of payments organizations are also the governance bodies overseeing the across different wallets. This will expedite the process of voting mechanism which is a blackbox to outsiders. It is not payments on any platform for B2B, B2C, and C2C. With the uncommon for these organizations to make up voting help of blockchains, cross-border transactions of value can results favorable to their interests. The results are often not now be cheaper and faster than ever before. Using verifiable. With GLOS blockchain, results will be blockchain-based solutions for payments will curb the transparent and immutable as every vote cast will be lengthy transaction times and expensive overheads recorded on the blockchain. There is no need for trust on a currently offered by financial institutions. single organization to perform voting and ratify the votes. GLOS blockchain will remove the need for intermediaries The nature of these transactions can be exceptionally well- while improving the accuracy of the voting results. documented, with a thorough audit trail of each transaction being posted onto the decentralized ledger. Additionally, With GLOS blockchain, voting can be introduced to where payments are tied to smart contracts, the terms of entertainment-related settings far beyond single events or the smart contract can be public, providing another virtual campaigns. While voting is often introduced in popular paper trail for source of funds or any industry standard campaigns such as countrywide beauty contests, large-scale around transaction and data handling. voting is not commonly seen in our daily life. Part of it can be ascribed to the huge cost associated with large-scale Payments on the blockchain are a common use case. The voting. With the gradual development of GLOS blockchain, GLOS blockchain will be scalable and built to offer voting cost can be brought down. Thus, blockchain-based exceptional transaction per second (TPS). However, voting can be introduced to different entertainment settings payment-as-a-service is basically native to any blockchain and applications at a much lower cost. An example might be solution. The solution that is required for all parties to a large-scale voting of a million audience to decide elements actually use blockchain for payments is a seamless user of a gaming contest including the map, rules, or other experience with payments via the blockchain. Therefore, opportunities of the game. Therefore, GLOS blockchain rather than investing heavily in the blockchain protocol to creates better audience engagement. support payments, GLOS will instead invest heavily into integrating the right wallet solution for the best user experience. 7.3 Campaign Management We also believe that entertainment is not only online. The The GLOS blockchain will offer a decentralized solution for first things that come to mind when we talk about campaign management that will serve the brand partners, entertainment includes video streaming services, live artiste managers and KOLs/artists. Advertising campaigns streaming, and gaming. However, so much of entertainment are plagued with informational asymmetry where some still remain offline, such as cinemas, concerts, and in- participants never see the real-world value that they are person gaming experiences. At GLOS, we don’t see the need generating. to distinguish between assets you use online and offline, as long as the experience is optimal for the consumer. This The campaign management infrastructure that we are means that GLOS will ensure that not only are online building at GLOS pushes all the transactions associated payments using blockchain and digital assets enabled but with a campaign downstream to our blockchain. Brand so are offline experiences that our DApp partners offer. A partners, artist managers, and KOLs will be able to see KPIs blockchain that validates online and offline transactions, all such as sales conversion, click-through rate etc., all on the on-chain, with processing-ready online and offline partners, GLOS blockchain dashboard as long as the appropriate provides a powerful piece of infrastructure for these DApp metrics are unlocked using an authorized decryption key. projects. To tap into those benefits would otherwise have This streamlines information across all participants and taken them years to build alone. provides a benefit to anyone using a DApp built on the GLOS blockchain. 20
Ultimately, this will eventually provide large amounts of management. Tools will also be included to allow users to data granularity and better price discovery. Currently, create and market their IP profitably. There will be two key social influencers are paid to participate in campaigns components – registration and licensing. Content creators according to the number of followers they have or an can register their IP on the platform while parties interested engagement level. These are merely vanity metrics for a in the IP can license the IP and create IP-based products brand looking to engage them. The next time the same such as games or merchandise. The goal of the IP Platform influencer is engaged, it may be through the same agency, is: whose interests are misaligned from their brand partners 1. to assist users in ascertaining concrete evidence that can who want as many social influencers working on a show the ownership of the copyright of the content and campaign as possible. Otherwise, the social influencer is for the protection of such copyright. This may extend to engaged through a new agency who has no historical record trademarks if the users have registered trademarks and of the social influencers’ sales conversion rate in any wish to register them with the platform as well; geographical region or industry vertical. 2. to facilitate parties in negotiating and entering into licensing agreements for the use of those copyright GLOS blockchain will enable all participants to say how one contents. The precise scope of the functions of the IP KOL compares to the next based on important KPIs because Platform may vary subject to development. of historical campaigns that have been posted to the GLOS blockchain through any DApp that utilizes this module. GLOS envisions the IP management chain will become a one-stop platform for IP owners to register their IPs, and for Tools like this will enable KOLs and smaller brands or IP licensees to secure the rights of using the IPs. IP can be smaller artiste agencies to reap the benefits of a blockchain managed at a company, production or individual level ledger without paying to build the infrastructure or having allowing the seamless registration and management of IP their own in-house expertise. Future iterations will be able and bypassing expensive and manual processes that require to pre-emptively identify promising KOLs based on the KPIs engagement. This will gradually evolve to become an historically captured on the blockchain, ensuring that entertainment industry-centric IP management platform brands who engage KOLs for marketing really get value and and marketplace. create a more transparent and wholesome market. 7.6 Token Issuance 7.4 Project Financing The greatest asset in entertainment is talent. Ever since Music, TV shows, movies, and ad campaigns all require agencies have existed, there have always been some artistes production costs. Whilst not a concern for consumers, who have insisted on independence. Independence allows creators would benefit from being able to crowdsource artistes to express themselves in the most authentic way, financing for promising projects. Blockchain-based project without pressure from backers to behave in a certain way financing can integrate a light governance layer and escrow and discuss or avoid certain topics. For some, this is very service through smart contracts, thereby protecting good PR and integral to their success but more and more, investors and the creators. fans just want the artistes whom they support to be approachable and authentic. Project financing allows fans and investors to contribute to entertainment projects that they believe are of high While agencies serve an important function in training and potential. Currently, entertainment project financing is protecting their artistes, agencies are still just an limited to institutional and sophisticated investors. With intermediary who participate to profit from the success of GLOS blockchain, the procedure for contributing to project the artistes. The act of tokenization allows artistes (groups financing can be streamlined, thereby encouraging mass or individuals) to be “owned” by the public. By maintaining participation of individual contributors. independence, artistes are also able to keep their cost of production lower for their fans or even participate in fan Project financing and management will be largely productions without fans having to pay a middleman for automated with the help of GLOS blockchain. A production that luxury. typically involves a number of participants, numerous agreements, detailed budgeting, complicated funding The GLOS blockchain will allow select artistes to go public, processes, and cumbersome distribution of proceeds to by issuing their own tokens. The ownership of a token is not different participants such as producers, actors, lawyers, only a hallmark of a true fan. Artistes are free to assign sales, agents, cinemas, and many more. GLOS blockchain benefits and utilities to these tokens on their own apps or will support smart contracts which automate the financing, affiliated apps, creating a new dimension for fans to engage sales, budgeting, and distribution. This will significantly more intimately with their favorite artistes. It allows artistes increase the efficiency and transparency of entertainment the freedom to tailor the fan experience and grow their own project financing. fan-base. This module will allow artistes to build their own token and 7.5 IP Management hold a token issuance event. Once available, the GLOS token will act as an on-ramp and liquidity token for all of GLOS is introducing an IP management chain and platform these artiste tokens. The possibilities with this are endless, with an open API to lower the barrier of IP registration and as it is up to the artistes and their fans to express themselves in a way that suits them best. 21
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