Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Description of Business. As used herein, “Acacia” and the “Company” refer to Acacia Research Corporation and/or its wholly and majority-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries, and/or where applicable, its management. All patent investment, prosecution, licensing and enforcement activities are conducted solely by certain of Acacia’s wholly and majority-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries invest in, license and enforce patented technologies. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries partner with inventors and patent owners, applying their legal and technology expertise to patent assets to unlock the financial value in their patented inventions. Acacia is an intermediary in the patent marketplace, bridging the gap between invention and application, facilitating efficiency and delivering monetary rewards to patent owners. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries generate revenues and related cash flows from the granting of intellectual property rights for the use of patented technologies that its operating subsidiaries control or own. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries assist patent owners with the prosecution and development of their patent portfolios, the protection of their patented inventions from unauthorized use, the generation of licensing revenue from users of their patented technologies and, where necessary, with the enforcement against unauthorized users of their patented technologies through the filing of patent infringement litigation. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries are principals in the licensing and enforcement effort, obtaining control of the rights in the patent portfolio, or control of the patent portfolio outright. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries own or control the rights to multiple patent portfolios, which include U.S. patents and certain foreign counterparts, covering technologies used in a wide variety of industries. Basis of Presentation. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Acacia and its wholly and majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. Material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Noncontrolling interests in Acacia’s majority-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries (“noncontrolling interests”) are separately presented as a component of stockholders’ equity in the consolidated statements of financial position for the applicable periods presented. Consolidated net loss is adjusted to include the net loss attributed to noncontrolling interests in the consolidated statements of operations. Refer to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for total noncontrolling interests, net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and contributions from and distributions to noncontrolling interests, for the applicable periods presented. A wholly owned subsidiary of Acacia is the general partner of the Acacia Intellectual Property Fund, L.P. (the “Acacia IP Fund”), which was formed in August 2010. The Acacia IP Fund is included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the periods presented because Acacia’s wholly owned subsidiary, which is the majority owner and general partner, has the ability to control the operations and activities of the Acacia IP Fund. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America in annual financial statements have been omitted or condensed in accordance with quarterly reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2014, as reported by Acacia in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The year end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The condensed consolidated interim financial statements of Acacia include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of Acacia’s consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2015, and results of its operations and its cash flows for the interim periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Description of Business. As used herein, “Acacia” and the “Company” refer to Acacia Research Corporation and/or its wholly and majority-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries, and/or where applicable, its management. All patent investment, prosecution, licensing and enforcement activities are conducted solely by certain of Acacia’s wholly and majority-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries.

Acacia’s operating subsidiaries invest in, license and enforce patented technologies. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries partner with inventors and patent owners, applying their legal and technology expertise to patent assets to unlock the financial value in their patented inventions. Acacia is an intermediary in the patent marketplace, bridging the gap between invention and application, facilitating efficiency and delivering monetary rewards to patent owners.

Acacia’s operating subsidiaries generate revenues and related cash flows from the granting of intellectual property rights for the use of patented technologies that its operating subsidiaries control or own. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries assist patent owners with the prosecution and development of their patent portfolios, the protection of their patented inventions from unauthorized use, the generation of licensing revenue from users of their patented technologies and, where necessary, with the enforcement against unauthorized users of their patented technologies through the filing of patent infringement litigation.

Acacia’s operating subsidiaries are principals in the licensing and enforcement effort, obtaining control of the rights in the patent portfolio, or control of the patent portfolio outright. Acacia’s operating subsidiaries own or control the rights to multiple patent portfolios, which include U.S. patents and certain foreign counterparts, covering technologies used in a wide variety of industries.

Basis of Presentation. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Acacia and its wholly and majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. Material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Noncontrolling interests in Acacia’s majority-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries (“noncontrolling interests”) are separately presented as a component of stockholders’ equity in the consolidated statements of financial position for the applicable periods presented. Consolidated net loss is adjusted to include the net loss attributed to noncontrolling interests in the consolidated statements of operations. Refer to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for total noncontrolling interests, net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and contributions from and distributions to noncontrolling interests, for the applicable periods presented.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Acacia is the general partner of the Acacia Intellectual Property Fund, L.P. (the “Acacia IP Fund”), which was formed in August 2010. The Acacia IP Fund is included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the periods presented because Acacia’s wholly owned subsidiary, which is the majority owner and general partner, has the ability to control the operations and activities of the Acacia IP Fund.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America in annual financial statements have been omitted or condensed in accordance with quarterly reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2014, as reported by Acacia in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The year end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The condensed consolidated interim financial statements of Acacia include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of Acacia’s consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2015, and results of its operations and its cash flows for the interim periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year.