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Income taxes - Additional Information (Detail) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2011 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2011 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2012 CAD | Sep. 30, 2011 USD ($)
Income Tax Expenses [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Provision for deferred income taxes on undistributed earnings of subsidiary |  | $ 2.1 |  |  |  | $ 2.1
Patent litigation settlement gain |  |  | 7.5 |  |  | 7.5
U.S. Federal statutory income tax rate |  |  |  | 35.00% | 35.00% |
Provision for income taxes | 11.1 | 13.2 |  |  |  |
Nondeductible surtax on dividend distributions | 3.00% |  |  | 3.00% | 3.00% |
Future dividend distributions | 3.00% |  |  | 3.00% | 3.00% |
Distributed Dividend | 1.8 |  |  |  |  |
Undistributed earnings | 18.1 |  |  | 18.1 |  |
Letter of credit collateralized |  |  |  |  | 7.5 |
Potential cash tax liability full amount for the proposed adjustment | 15.9 |  |  | 15.9 |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits | $ 1.6 |  |  | $ 1.6 |  |

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- Definition Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from undistributed earnings of subsidiaries and other recognized entities not within the country of domicile of the entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32632-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 11 -Subparagraph a -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32621-109319 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6969291&loc=d3e28680-109314 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 43 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition The domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable under enacted tax laws to the Company's pretax income from continuing operations for the period. The "statutory" tax rate is the regular tax rate if there are alternative tax systems. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 47 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6889476&loc=d3e330036-122817 + Details
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- Definition The gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns as of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Unrecognized Tax Benefit -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527854 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph a -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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