Patents (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Patents [Line Items]
Patents, net	$ 286,636,000	$ 288,432,000
Patents, weighted average useful life	6 years
Payments to acquire intangible assets	42,746,000	25,061,000	178,260,000
Accrued patent acquisition related payments	16,700,000	4,000,000
Accelerated amortization expense	1,247,000actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpense	592,000actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpense	10,574,000actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpense
Accelerated amortization expense (termination)	2,702,000	1,747,000	3,034,000
Impairment of Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	3,497,000	4,619,000	0
Minimum [Member]
Patents [Line Items]
Patents, useful life	1 year
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	3 years
Maximum [Member]
Patents [Line Items]
Patents, useful life	10 years
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	10 years
Patents [Member]
Patents [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount - patents	453,201,000	400,755,000
Accumulated amortization - patents	166,565,000	112,323,000
Patents, net	$ 286,636,000	$ 288,432,000
Patents [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Patents [Line Items]
Patents, useful life	1 year
Patents [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Patents [Line Items]
Patents, useful life	9 years

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Accelerated amortization expense (termination)

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- Definition

Accrued Patent Acquisition Related Payments

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Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life

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Patents, Accumulated Amortization

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Patents, Gross

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Carrying value for patents, net of accumulated amortization.

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Weighted average amortization period of finite-lived intangible assets acquired either individually or as part of a group of assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

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Useful life of finite-lived intangible assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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The amount of impairment loss recognized in the period resulting from the write-down of the carrying amount of an intangible asset (excluding goodwill) to fair value.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

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- Definition

The cash outflow to acquire asset without physical form usually arising from contractual or other legal rights, excluding goodwill.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Investing Activities

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