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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2016 | Mar. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income (loss) attributable to Acacia Research Corporation | $ (110,203) | $ 158,465 | $ (14,252) | $ (11,830) | $ (10,611) | $ 7,082 | $ (40,573) | $ (9,965) | $ 22,180 | $ (54,067) | $ (160,036)
Undistributed Earnings (Loss) Allocated to Participating Securities, Basic |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 33 | 0 | 0
Payments of Dividends |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | (25,434)
Dividends attributable to common stockholders under the two class method |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 24,740
Net Loss Available to Common Stockholders, Basic and Diluted |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 22,147 | $ (54,067) | $ (160,730)
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 50,495,119 | 50,075,847 | 49,505,817
Weighted Average Number Diluted Shares Outstanding Adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 196,893 | 0 | 0
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted | 50,590,460 | 50,599,974 | 50,499,948 | 50,333,056 | 50,237,784 | 50,618,757 | 50,015,869 | 49,925,550 | 50,692,012 | 50,075,847 | 49,505,817
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted | $ (2.18) | $ 3.13 | $ (0.28) | $ (0.24) | $ (0.21) | $ 0.14 | $ (0.81) | $ (0.20) | $ 0.44 | $ (1.08) | $ (3.25)
Anti-dilutive equity-based incentive awards excluded from the computation of diluted income (loss) per share |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,425,187 | 3,682,532 | 71,468

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