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Income Taxes
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
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Income Taxes. The gain on sale of patent assets was primarily responsible for producing $72.8 million of income before taxes in the six month period ended June 30, 2012. We used a significant portion our deferred tax assets available as of June 30, 2012 to reduce income taxes on year-to-date pre-tax earnings. Consequently, we recorded a $4.1 million income tax liability as of June 30, 2012, which consisted of $3.1 million of federal income taxes and $1.0 million of state income taxes.
 
 
A substantial portion of the deferred tax assets we utilized comprised cumulative deductions for stock options in excess of book expense. Under income tax accounting rules, that portion of tax benefits attributable to such deductions must be recorded as an adjustment to equity versus a reduction of income tax expense. In the three months ended June 30, 2012, the tax benefits from such stock-based awards were $12.7 million, which we recorded as an equity adjustment to additional paid-in capital. After the equity adjustment, we recorded $16.8 million of income tax expense in the statement of comprehensive income during the three months ended June 30, 2012. The $16.8 million income tax expense consists of the $4.1 million current income tax liability plus the $12.7 million non-cash adjustment that was recorded to equity.
 
 
We continue to record a full valuation allowance against our remaining deferred tax assets because based on all the available evidence, we continue to believe that it is more likely than not that our deferred tax assets are not currently realizable. In reaching this determination, we evaluated our three-year cumulative results as well as the impact that current economic conditions may have on our future results.
 
 
We will continue to assess the level of valuation allowance required in future periods. Should more positive than negative evidence regarding the realizability of tax assets exist at a future point in time, the valuation allowance may be reduced or eliminated altogether.