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Intangible Assets
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill) [Abstract]  
Intangible Assets
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets are initially recorded at their acquisition cost, or fair value if acquired as part of a business combination, and amortized over their estimated useful lives. Increases to the gross amount of intangible assets during 2017 included expenditures to develop internal use software, a $149.7 million increase due primarily to our 2017 business acquisitions of Datalink Services, Inc., xTech Holdings, Inc. and FT Holdings, Inc., and increases due to the impact of foreign exchange rate adjustments.
Intangible assets consisted of the following:
 
December 31, 2017
 
December 31, 2016
(in millions)
Gross
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net
 
Gross
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net
Database and credit files
$
854.8

 
$
(302.0
)
 
$
552.8

 
$
844.4

 
$
(242.7
)
 
$
601.7

Internal use software
946.2

 
(489.4
)
 
456.8

 
739.0

 
(412.7
)
 
326.3

Customer relationships
439.5

 
(114.4
)
 
325.1

 
415.7

 
(89.3
)
 
326.4

Trademarks, copyrights and patents
572.1

 
(84.2
)
 
487.9

 
573.3

 
(69.2
)
 
504.1

Noncompete and other agreements
6.8

 
(3.6
)
 
3.2

 
5.7

 
(1.9
)
 
3.8

Total intangible assets
$
2,819.4

 
$
(993.6
)
 
$
1,825.8

 
$
2,578.1

 
$
(815.8
)
 
$
1,762.3


All amortizable intangibles are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. Database and credit files are generally amortized over a twelve to fifteen year period. Internal use software is generally amortized over three to seven year period. Customer relationships are amortized over a ten to twenty year period. Trademarks are generally amortized over a forty year period. Copyrights, patents, noncompete and other agreements are amortized over varying periods based on their estimated economic life. The weighted average lives of our intangibles is approximately sixteen years.
Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, was $170.1 million, $197.5 million and $218.1 million, respectively. Estimated future amortization expense related to intangible assets at December 31, 2017, is as follows:
(in millions)
Annual
Amortization
Expense
2018
$
192.5

2019
174.5

2020
155.3

2021
141.1

2022
132.3

Thereafter
1,030.1

Total future amortization expense
$
1,825.8