The idea's the thing.
It sprang out of the fertile techno mind of Salt Lake native Matt Jarman seven years ago, when he was all of 24 years old.
What this world needed, Matt decided, now that the basics such as fire, the wheel and video recorders had been invented, was a filter that would allow people to watch movies on their home recorders with any language, violence and sex they found objectionable tuned out.
Invent that, and the world would beat a path to your door.
And he was right, although who could have guessed it would take so long?
Bill Aho smiles at the "sudden" success of ClearPlay, which is the name Matt Jarman decided to give to the movie filter his idea turned into.
Bill is sitting down in his Park City home for something like his millionth media interview this month. He's talked about ClearPlay to reporters from Poland, from Peru, from Australia, from the BBC in England. That's in addition to all the attention from here in America. ClearPlay has been featured in daily newspapers from coast to coast. USA Today gave it almost a full page of play. The product from Utah has been featured on television on CNN, MSNBC, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood, and last week Matt Jarman sat down with Matt Lauer on NBC's "The Today Show."
All because a little company called RCA decided to include ClearPlay filters in a new line of its DVD players and at the end of April placed said players in a little retail chain called Wal-Mart.
As Bill puts it, "ClearPlay suddenly became very interesting."
Bill is the CEO of ClearPlay. It's not exactly like being CEO of, say, IBM. For the past three-plus years, ever since Bill went to work for the company full time, it's pretty much been just Bill, Matt's big brother Lee (the company CFO), Matt and Matt's idea.
Bill has traipsed the country with nothing but that idea in his briefcase. He has talked to manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, lawyers, movie directors, more lawyers and enough venture capitalists to buy Central America.
It hasn't been easy. He's had more doors closed in his face than nuclear waste. He's had to distinguish ClearPlay from Clean Flicks and other companies that permanently alter films rather than mask them. He's had to hurdle lawsuits and threats of lawsuits from, among others, the Directors Guild of America, who, by @#$!, don't want anyone putting a mute button to their art. Steve Spielberg sees ClearPlay as the anti-Christ.
But Sam Walton's company doesn't. And now, suddenly, Bill and the idea he's been pushing are in hot demand.
Hence, Bill's wry smile.
It takes a lot of hard work to turn into an overnight sensation
Where will the simple idea dreamed up by a 20-something Utahn wind up?
Ask Bill Aho, and he predicts Matt Jarman's idea will lap the world.
"ClearPlay is going to be a standard feature on all DVD players," he says. "Why wouldn't it be? Why wouldn't anyone want to have that choice? This isn't unique to Utah or religion or even families. It's about a better choice for entertaining.
"It's there for people who want it," he continues. "It isn't for everyone. I don't believe that your average frat house is going to be using ClearPlay."
The ClearPlay CEO smiles again. He's sitting on a solid product, he's well-versed in his subject, he's got good lines, and, better yet, after these many months, he's finally getting to use them.
Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.