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Customer Concentration (Percentage of Total Revenue From Licenses Over 10% of Revenue) (Detail)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Genentech [Member]      
Concentration Risk [Line Items]      
Royalty by Licensee as a percentage of revenue, Percentage 71.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pdli_GenentechMember		 81.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pdli_GenentechMember		 84.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pdli_GenentechMember
Biogen Idec [Member]      
Concentration Risk [Line Items]      
Royalty by Licensee as a percentage of revenue, Percentage 10.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pdli_BiogenIdecMember		 [1] 11.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pdli_BiogenIdecMember		 [1] 12.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pdli_BiogenIdecMember		 [1]
[1] Year Ended December 31, 2014 2013 2012Licensees Genentech 71% 81% 84%Biogen Idec 10% 11% 12%