Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2016 |
Sep. 30, 2016 |
Jun. 30, 2016 |
Mar. 31, 2016 |
Dec. 31, 2015 |
Sep. 30, 2015 |
Jun. 30, 2015 |
Mar. 31, 2015 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
Dec. 31, 2015 |
Dec. 31, 2014 |
|
| QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited) [Abstract] | |||||||||||
| Revenues | $ 21,969 | $ 64,658 | $ 41,351 | $ 24,721 | $ 37,497 | $ 12,994 | $ 40,336 | $ 34,210 | |||
| Inventor royalties | 3,313 | 17,844 | 0 | 1,573 | 7,756 | 116 | 1,265 | 9,325 | $ 22,730 | $ 18,462 | $ 20,670 |
| Contingent legal fees | 4,238 | 7,709 | 10,418 | 4,109 | 3,901 | 1,972 | 5,512 | 4,784 | 26,474 | 16,169 | 23,563 |
| Litigation and licensing expenses - patents | 5,463 | 7,348 | 7,324 | 7,723 | 11,341 | 10,345 | 9,012 | 8,675 | 27,858 | 39,373 | 37,614 |
| Amortization of patents | 6,222 | 6,467 | 10,759 | 10,760 | 13,113 | 13,688 | 13,228 | 13,038 | 34,208 | 53,067 | 53,745 |
| Marketing, general and administrative expenses (including non-cash stock compensation expense) | (9,056) | (8,334) | (7,535) | (7,994) | (8,572) | (9,442) | (9,587) | (10,575) | (32,919) | (38,176) | (48,554) |
| Research, consulting and other expenses - business development | 557 | 666 | 1,334 | 522 | 860 | 802 | 732 | 997 | 3,079 | 3,391 | 3,840 |
| Impairment of Patent-Related Intangible Assets | 2,175 | 0 | 40,165 | 0 | 74,731 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42,340 | 74,731 | 3,497 |
| Impairment of Goodwill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,149 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,149 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | (1,242) | 1,742 | 250 | 3,465 | 0 | 426 | 500 | 4,141 | 1,548 |
| Total operating costs and expenses | 31,024 | 48,368 | 76,293 | 34,423 | 150,673 | 39,830 | 39,336 | 47,820 | 190,108 | 277,659 | 193,031 |
| Operating loss | (9,055) | 16,290 | (34,942) | (9,702) | (113,176) | (26,836) | 1,000 | (13,610) | (37,409) | (152,622) | (62,155) |
| Total other income (expense) | 592 | 261 | (52) | (3) | 0 | (180) | (104) | 228 | 798 | (56) | (595) |
| Income (loss) from operations before (provision for) benefit from income taxes | (8,463) | 16,551 | (34,994) | (9,705) | (113,176) | (27,016) | 896 | (13,382) | (36,611) | (152,678) | (62,750) |
| (Provision) benefit for income taxes | (2,414) | (9,655) | (5,927) | (192) | (4,174) | (337) | (119) | (170) | (18,188) | (4,800) | (3,912) |
| Net loss including noncontrolling interests in operating subsidiaries | (10,877) | 6,896 | (40,921) | (9,897) | (117,350) | (27,353) | 777 | (13,552) | (54,799) | (157,478) | (66,662) |
| Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in operating subsidiaries | (266) | (186) | (348) | 68 | (1,440) | (43) | 4,463 | (422) | (732) | 2,558 | (633) |
| Net loss attributable to Acacia Research Corporation | $ (10,611) | $ 7,082 | $ (40,573) | $ (9,965) | $ (115,910) | $ (27,310) | $ (3,686) | $ (13,130) | $ (54,067) | $ (160,036) | $ (66,029) |
| Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted | $ (0.21) | $ 0.14 | $ (0.81) | $ (0.20) | $ (2.33) | $ (0.55) | $ (0.08) | $ (0.27) | $ (1.08) | $ (3.25) | $ (1.37) |
| Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic and Diluted | 50,237,784 | 50,124,302 | 50,015,869 | 49,925,550 | 49,749,941 | 49,630,369 | 49,423,472 | 49,212,207 | 50,075,847 | 49,505,817 | 48,658,088 |
| Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted | 50,237,784 | 50,618,757 | 50,015,869 | 49,925,550 | 49,749,941 | 49,630,369 | 49,423,472 | 49,212,207 | |||