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Patents (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Patents [Line Items] |  |  |
Patents, net | $ 286,636,000 actg_PatentsNetOfAccumulatedAmortization | $ 288,432,000 actg_PatentsNetOfAccumulatedAmortization |
Patents, weighted average useful life | 6 years |  |
Payments to acquire intangible assets | 42,746,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireIntangibleAssets | 25,061,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireIntangibleAssets | 178,260,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireIntangibleAssets
Accrued patent acquisition related payments | 16,700,000 actg_AccruedPatentAcquisitionRelatedPayments | 4,000,000 actg_AccruedPatentAcquisitionRelatedPayments |
Accelerated amortization expense | 1,247,000 actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpense | 592,000 actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpense | 10,574,000 actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpense
Accelerated amortization expense (termination) | 2,702,000 actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpenseTermination | 1,747,000 actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpenseTermination | 3,034,000 actg_AcceleratedAmortizationExpenseTermination
Impairment of Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill) | 3,497,000 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill | 4,619,000 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill | 0 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill
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 actg_PatentsGross / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_PatentsMember | 400,755,000 actg_PatentsGross / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_PatentsMember |
Accumulated amortization - patents | 166,565,000 actg_PatentsAccumulatedAmortization / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_PatentsMember | 112,323,000 actg_PatentsAccumulatedAmortization / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_PatentsMember |
Patents, net | $ 286,636,000 actg_PatentsNetOfAccumulatedAmortization / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_PatentsMember | $ 288,432,000 actg_PatentsNetOfAccumulatedAmortization / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_PatentsMember |
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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