Shareholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 10, 2020	Sep. 29, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	May 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2008
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized				2,500,000	2,500,000			2,500,000
Preferred stock, par value				$ 0.001	$ 0.001			$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares issued				10,000	10,000
Common stock, shares authorized				50,000,000	50,000,000			50,000,000
Common stock, par value				$ 0.001	$ 0.001			$ 0.001
Common stock, shares issued				16,940,000	16,735,000
Common stock available for future issuance				$ 6,932,000
Shares of common stock subject to awards outstanding				50,000	305,000	558,000
Stock Options [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation plans, number of additional shares available for future grants				1,004,000
Closing price per share of Digimarc common stock				$ 39.48
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Fair value RSUs vested				$ 1,050,000
Fair value of PRSUs vested				1,050,000
Performance Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Closing price per share of Digimarc common stock					$ 16.49
Fair value RSUs vested				$ 2,886,000
Stock cancelled and reissued			21,000	21,000
Grant date fair value				$ 28.93
Fair value of PRSUs vested				$ 2,886,000
Common Stock [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Stock issuance costs		$ 190,000			$ 394,000
Cash proceeds from sale of common stock		$ 36,530,000			$ 2,718,000
Issuance of common stock				0	2,704,000
Sale of common stock, sales agent commissions					$ 61,000
Proceeds from Issuance of common stock, net cash proceeds					$ 2,263,000
Common Stock [Member] | Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, number of shares authorized				1,000,000
Common Stock [Member] | Equity Distribution Agreement With Average Price of 60.61 [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Common stock price per share					$ 16.80
Issuance of common stock					162
Common Stock [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Aggregate offering price of common stock							$ 30,000,000
Common Stock [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Shares of common stock subject to awards outstanding				770,000
Private Placement [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued		2,542,000
Common stock price per share		$ 14.37
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation, number of shares authorized				10,000
Series A Preferred redeemable stated fair value				$ 5.00
Series A Preferred stock dividend rights				$ 0
Series A Preferred stock undistributed earnings				$ 0
Series B convertable Preffered Stock [Member]
Shareholders Equity [Line Items]
Preferred stock, par value		$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares issued		17,000
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock		$ 16,970,000
Stock issuance costs		$ 84,000
Preferred stock conversion price		$ 14.37
Common stock issued upon conversion of preferred stock	1,198,000
Intrinsic value	$ 11,443,000