SEGMENT REPORTING - Segment Income and Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2024	Mar. 31, 2023
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 24,320	$ 14,803
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	606	221
Contingent legal fees	1,824	532
Litigation and licensing expenses	1,138	1,384
Amortization of patents	3,433	2,601
Cost of sales	4,049	5,220
Cost of production	1,315
Total cost of revenues	12,365	9,958
Segment gross (loss) profit	11,955	4,845
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	134	216
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	1,555	1,913
Amortization of intangible assets	3,900	3,000
General and administrative expenses	12,353	12,040
Operating loss	(2,087)	(9,324)
Total other income (expense)	789	21,254
(Loss) income before income taxes	(1,298)	11,930
Parent Company
Other operating expenses:
General and administrative expenses	6,737	7,425
Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	134	216
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	1,555	1,913
Amortization of intangible assets	433	433
General and administrative expenses	5,183	4,182
Total other operating expenses	7,305	6,744
Operating loss	4,650	(1,899)
Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	13,623	4,176
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	606	221
Contingent legal fees	1,824	532
Litigation and licensing expenses	1,138	1,384
Amortization of patents	3,433	2,601
Cost of sales	0	0
Cost of production	0
Total cost of revenues	7,001	4,738
Segment gross (loss) profit	6,622	(562)
Intellectual property operations | Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	0	0
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
General and administrative expenses	3,340	1,897
Total other operating expenses	3,340	1,897
Operating loss	3,282	(2,459)
Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	8,841	10,627
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	0	0
Contingent legal fees	0	0
Litigation and licensing expenses	0	0
Amortization of patents	0	0
Cost of sales	4,049	5,220
Cost of production	0
Total cost of revenues	4,049	5,220
Segment gross (loss) profit	4,792	5,407
Industrial operations | Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	134	216
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	1,555	1,913
Amortization of intangible assets	433	433
General and administrative expenses	1,458	2,285
Total other operating expenses	3,580	4,847
Operating loss	1,212	560
Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	1,856
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	0
Contingent legal fees	0
Litigation and licensing expenses	0
Amortization of patents	0
Cost of sales	0
Cost of production	1,315
Total cost of revenues	1,315
Segment gross (loss) profit	541
Energy operations | Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	0
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0
General and administrative expenses	385
Total other operating expenses	385
Operating loss	156
License fees
Revenues:
Revenues	13,623	4,176
License fees | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	13,623	4,176
License fees | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
License fees | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Printers and parts
Revenues:
Revenues	3,065	4,464
Printers and parts | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
Printers and parts | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	3,065	4,464
Printers and parts | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Consumable products
Revenues:
Revenues	5,013	5,170
Consumable products | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
Consumable products | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	5,013	5,170
Consumable products | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Services
Revenues:
Revenues	763	993
Services | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
Services | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	763	$ 993
Services | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Oil sales
Revenues:
Revenues	661
Oil sales | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Oil sales | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Oil sales | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	661
Natural gas sales
Revenues:
Revenues	730
Natural gas sales | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas sales | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas sales | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	730
Natural gas liquids sales
Revenues:
Revenues	465
Natural gas liquids sales | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas liquids sales | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas liquids sales | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 465