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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest | For the periods presented, net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in operating subsidiaries was comprised of the following (in thousands):
| 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests(1) | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (3,191 | )
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests - Acacia IP Fund | 164 |  |  | (539 | ) |  | 226 |
Total net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests | $ | 164 |  |  | $ | (539 | ) |  | $ | (2,965 | )
_________________________________________ (1) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in operating subsidiary represents net inventor royalties distributable to noncontrolling interests in one of Acacia’s majority-owned operating subsidiaries.
Property and Equipment, Useful Lives | Depreciation and amortization is computed on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives of the assets:
Furniture and fixtures | 3 to 5 years
Computer hardware and software | 3 to 5 years
Leasehold improvements | 2 to 5 years (Lesser of lease term or useful life of improvement)
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted | The following table presents the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding used in the calculation of basic and diluted income per share:
|  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic |  | 47,251,061 |  |  | 39,743,433 |  |  | 32,306,322 |
Dilutive effect of equity-based incentive awards |  | 809,586 |  |  | 1,514,864 |  |  | 2,775,289 |
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - diluted |  | 48,060,647 |  |  | 41,258,297 |  |  | 35,081,611 |
Anti-dilutive equity-based incentive awards excluded from the computation of diluted income (loss) per share |  | 522,552 |  |  | 77,760 |  |  | 14,768 |

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