Customer Concentration (Narrative) (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2012
Customer Concentration [Abstract]
Minimum threshold percent of total royalty income requiring disclosure by licensee by product name (in Percent)	10.00%

Minimum threshold percent of total royalty income requiring disclosure by licensee by product name.

No definition available.

Name:	pdli_MinimumThresholdPercentOfTotalRoyaltyIncomeRequiringDisclosureByLicenseeByProductNameInHundredths
Namespace Prefix:	pdli_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant