Hoax: Samsung paid Apple its $1bn damages in nickels [Update]

This is kind of funny. A story is sweeping through the web that Samsung has paid Apple all the money it was ordered to after the trial between the two companies. In nickels.

The story goes something along the following lines: the South Korean tech giant paid the US$1.049-billion dollars in damages owed to its US counterpart five cent pieces, shipping through the cash in 30 armoured trucks. A sort of witty riposte to the ruling in the recent trial between the two if you will.

Also read: The jury: why Apple was never going to lose against Samsung

This is, of course, a hoax. While no major news outlets bit, the story did get enough traction to become a sort of minor meme on 9Gag.

The origin of the hoax appears to have been a Spanish-language site, with the following quoted on various forums:

Update: Some Memburn commentors have suggested that the actual origin of the story was El Deforma, a Mexican take on satirical news site The Onion.

USA – This Morning arrived more than 30 trucks filled of 5 cents to the HQ of Apple, California. At first glance the security detoured the trucks and they assured they were on the wrong place, but minutes later, Tim Cook (Apple CEO) received a call from Samsung CEO that is the payment method for the recent fine applied against the South Korean company.

The report even cites so-called experts, saying that Samsung would indeed be able to get away with something like this:

Law experts confirm that if court documents do not specify how a company or person is to pay of a judgement he or she can pay in whatever denomination they’d like as long as it is paid off in the currency that is stated in the judgement.

Thing is, Samsung’s made it abundantly clear that it intends to appeal the ruling in the trial between it and Apple. And if 30 armoured trucks had suddenly appeared at Number One Infinite Loop, you wouldn’t have been able to move for all the Silicon Valley press there.