Music moguls Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller have reached a settlement in a multi-dollar legal case, apparently clearing the way for Cowell to extend his contract with the hit “American Idol” TV series.
Although details of the out-of-court agreement were not disclosed, both Simons said yesterday (Nov. 29) they had patched up their differences over the origins of Cowell’s “The X Factor” talent show, which Fuller said ripped off his own “Pop Idol” creation.
“I am happy that we have been able to sort out our differences and find an amicable solution to our problems,” said Cowell, who is best known as the acerbic judge on “Pop Idol” and “American Idol.”
“This means we can go forward and concentrate on working together for the next five years on developing other successful projects,” he added in a statement released by his agent. “Simon and I have shown just how well we work together in recent years. We have remained friends throughout this dispute and I think that it was this friendship that allowed us to settle our differences”.
Also yesterday, the producers of “American Idol” said they had reached a deal with the Fox television network for up to six more seasons of the broadcaster’s ratings mainstay.
Fuller, best known as the manager of the Spice Girls, had accused Cowell of copying his ideas in the hugely successful television talent show format, a claim dismissed by Cowell as “utterly ridiculous”.
Fuller’s company 19 TV, creator of both Pop Idol and American Idol, had taken legal action against Cowell, his firms Simco and Syco and FremantleMedia, a unit of pan-European broadcaster RTL Group.
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