Note 7 - Litigation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]	7. Litigation The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are parties to actions and proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including litigation regarding its shareholders, a former employee and its intellectual property, challenges to the enforceability or validity of its intellectual property and claims that the Company’s products infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. These proceedings often involve complex questions of fact and law and may require the expenditure of significant funds and the diversion of other resources to prosecute and defend. The Company defends itself vigorously against any such claims. O2 Micro On May 3, 2012, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order finding O2 Micro International, Ltd. (“O2 Micro”) liable for approximately $9.1 million in attorneys’ fees and non-taxable costs, plus interest, in connection with the patent litigation that the Company won in 2010. This award is in addition to the approximately $0.3 million in taxable costs that the Court had earlier ordered O2 Micro to pay to the Company in connection with the same lawsuit. The Court then entered judgment for the Company. In October 2012, O2 Micro filed an appeal against this judgment. As of March 31, 2013, the Company did not record the award as income as payment has not been received. Silergy In December 2011, the Company entered into a settlement and license agreement with Silergy Corp and Silergy Technologies for infringement of the Company’s patent whereby the Company will receive a total of $2.0 million. The first $1.2 million was paid in equal installments of $300,000 in each quarter of 2012 and the remainder will be paid in two equal installments in first two quarters of 2013. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company received payments totaling $400,000 and $300,000, respectively, which were recorded as credits to litigation expense (benefit) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Note 7 - Litigation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]

7. Litigation

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are parties to actions and proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including litigation regarding its shareholders, a former employee and its intellectual property, challenges to the enforceability or validity of its intellectual property and claims that the Company’s products infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. These proceedings often involve complex questions of fact and law and may require the expenditure of significant funds and the diversion of other resources to prosecute and defend. The Company defends itself vigorously against any such claims.

O2 Micro

On May 3, 2012, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order finding O2 Micro International, Ltd. (“O2 Micro”) liable for approximately $9.1 million in attorneys’ fees and non-taxable costs, plus interest, in connection with the patent litigation that the Company won in 2010. This award is in addition to the approximately $0.3 million in taxable costs that the Court had earlier ordered O2 Micro to pay to the Company in connection with the same lawsuit. The Court then entered judgment for the Company. In October 2012, O2 Micro filed an appeal against this judgment. As of March 31, 2013, the Company did not record the award as income as payment has not been received.

Silergy

In December 2011, the Company entered into a settlement and license agreement with Silergy Corp and Silergy Technologies for infringement of the Company’s patent whereby the Company will receive a total of $2.0 million. The first $1.2 million was paid in equal installments of $300,000 in each quarter of 2012 and the remainder will be paid in two equal installments in first two quarters of 2013. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company received payments totaling $400,000 and $300,000, respectively, which were recorded as credits to litigation expense (benefit) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.