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Patents
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets

Acacia’s only identifiable intangible assets at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 are patents and patent rights.  Patent-related accumulated amortization totaled $179,603,000 and $166,565,000 as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Acacia’s patents have remaining estimated economic useful lives ranging from one to nine years.  The weighted-average remaining estimated economic useful life of Acacia’s patents is approximately six years.  The following table presents the scheduled annual aggregate amortization expense as of March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
Remainder of 2015
$
39,191

2016
49,584

2017
48,496

2018
44,368

2019
38,738

Thereafter
54,282

Total
$
274,659



For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, Acacia paid patent related investment costs totaling $16,861,000 (including up-front patent portfolio advances and previously accrued milestone payments related to patent related investments made in prior periods) and $987,000, respectively.  The underlying patents have estimated economic useful lives of approximately four to ten years. Included in net additions to capitalized patent costs during the months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are accrued patent investment costs totaling $900,000 and $15,250,000, respectively, which are amortized over the estimated economic useful life of the related patents.

Included in amortization of patents for the months ended March 31, 2014 was accelerated amortization related to the partial write-down of a patent portfolio, due to a reduction in expected estimated future net cash flows, totaling $2,565,000.