CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	2 Months Ended	8 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2020	Aug. 31, 2020
Income Statement [Abstract]
Discontinued Operation, Held-For-Sale, Income (Loss) From Discontinued Operation, Before Income Tax	$ 0	$ 28,904

Discontinued Operation, Held-For-Sale, Income (Loss) From Discontinued Operation, Before Income Tax

No definition available.

Name:	pdli_DiscontinuedOperationHeldForSaleIncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationBeforeIncomeTax
Namespace Prefix:	pdli_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration