Note 2 - Finance Receivables (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 05, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013 Returned to Borrower [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Draw Down [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue [Member] Tribute Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue [Member] Tribute Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Tribute Term Loan [Member] Marketable Securities [Member]	Aug. 08, 2013 Tribute Term Loan [Member] Marketable Securities [Member]	Aug. 08, 2013 Tribute Term Loan [Member] Line of Credit [Member]	Aug. 08, 2013 Tribute Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Tribute Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Besivance [Member] Bess Royalty [Member]	Apr. 02, 2013 Besivance [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Besivance [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Besivance [Member]	Jun. 12, 2013 TRT [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 TRT [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 TRT [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 SWK Funding LLC [Member]	Dec. 05, 2012 SWK Funding LLC [Member]	Dec. 05, 2012 A Client of SWK Advisors [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Minimum [Member]
Note 2 - Finance Receivables (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 22,500,000																	$ 6,500,000	$ 19,000,000	$ 3,500,000
Loan Commitment Assigned by Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Company	12,500,000	12,500,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum												13.50%												16.00%
Loan Exit Fee Which the Lenders are Entitled to	2,000,000	2,000,000																			577,000
Interest Income, Other	335,000	1,002,000						130,000								257,000	517,000		88,000	88,000
Accretion of Exit Fee	70,000	214,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	607,000	607,000	1,000,000
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash		(391,000)			(250,000)	(143,000)
Financing Receivable, Net	20,179,000	20,179,000									2,000,000	8,000,000
Payments to Acquire Loans Receivable		13,880,000										6,000,000
Class of Warrant or Right, Outstanding (in Shares)													755,736
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights (in Dollars per Item)													0.60
Warrants and Rights Outstanding	288,000	288,000							265,000	334,000
Fair Value Adjustment of Warrants		56,000					69,000	69,000
Total Cost of Royalty Stream															15,000,000			2,000,000
Company Funded, Royalty Stream															6,000,000
Royalty Stream, Percentage																40.3125%	40.3125%
Royalty Stream, Contingent Consideration Paid by Third Party														1,000,000
Royalty Stream, Contingent Consideration, Liability																			$ 1,250,000	$ 1,250,000