Simon Fuller is known to be an expert at creating idols. He started off by making David Backham a superstar far off the scope of the soccer field. However, it is as the creator of Idol that he really became known outside the music world.

Fuller and his 19 Entertainment are now after the Norwegian singing plumber from Bergen.

Nilsen’s Norwegian manager Jan Fredrik Karlsen confirms to TV 2 Nettavisen that his firm Playroom have been in contact with Fuller and 19 Entertainment, but he did not wish to comment on the conversations.

Powerful, rich and tough
Fuller, 43, is for the time being one of the most powerful managers in British and American music industry. He is also considered to be on of the toughest and one of the richest. According to the Sunday Times, Fuller made USD 44 million in 2002 on his artists and Idol in both the US and Great Britain. The British Idol winner Will Young made USD 750,000.

Fuller takes a much larger cut of his clients’ profits than other managers do. According to the Associate Press, the manager normally takes about 20 percent, Fuller, on the other hand, takes between 25 and 50 percent of the income.

Exploitation or assistance?
Fuller’s methods have been criticised in the US, and some say that the contracts he has with his clients are on the border of exploitation. Gary Fine, an American lawyer and expert on the entertainment industry, said to the Associate Press, that he would advice clients not to enter into contracts with Fuller because his terms are so tough.

Fine said that Fuller has nothing against artists who let their lawyers read the contracts, but the contract is seldom up for discussion, more like a take it or leave it deal.

“If the artist stands for a music and an imagine which takes time to develop, I would not recommend working with Simon Fuller, but if my client first and foremost is interested in fame and riches, Fuller’s management is absolutely something to consider,” Fine said to the AP.

Kurt decides
Nilsen’s Norwegian management company does not want to comment the conversations with Fuller and 19 Entertainment to TV 2 Nettavisen except by stating that they have talked about working together.

Fuller has the rights to all the Idol artists in Great Britain and the US, but there is nothing which states that he gets an agreement with Nilsen even if he was a Norwegian participant in the competition, and as a result Nilsen and company have more room to negotiate.