INCOME/LOSS PER SHARE (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2023	Mar. 31, 2022
Numerator:
Net income (loss) attributable to Acacia Research Corporation	$ 9,447	$ (73,266)
Dividend on Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock	(700)	(700)
Accretion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock	(1,554)	(1,151)
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	(1,235)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - Basic	5,958	(75,117)
Add: Dividend on Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock	700	0
Less: Change in fair value of Series A warrants	0	0
Less: Change in fair value of dilutive Series B warrants	(11,628)	0
Add: Interest expense associated with Starboard Notes, net of tax	708	0
Add: Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	1,235	0
Reallocation of undistributed earnings to participating securities	0	0
Net loss attributable to common stockholders - Diluted	$ (6,496)	$ (75,117)
Denominator:
Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Basic	47,971,931	46,544,313
Potentially dilutive common shares:
Potentially dilutive common shares (in shares)	89,067,821	46,544,313
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, diluted	89,067,821	46,544,313
Basic net income (loss) per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.12	$ (1.61)
Diluted net (loss) income per common share (in usd per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (1.61)
Anti-dilutive potential common shares excluded from the computation of diluted net income/loss per share:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)	2,368,870	109,029,318
Add: Accretion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock	$ 1,554	$ 0
Less: Change in fair value of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock embedded derivative	$ (5,023)	$ 0
Restricted stock units
Potentially dilutive common shares:
Potentially dilutive common shares (in shares)	0	0
Stock options
Potentially dilutive common shares:
Potentially dilutive common shares (in shares)	0	0
Series A warrants
Potentially dilutive common shares:
Potentially dilutive common shares (in shares)	0	0
Series B warrants
Potentially dilutive common shares:
Potentially dilutive common shares (in shares)	31,506,849	0
Series A Preferred Stock
Potentially dilutive common shares:
Potentially dilutive common shares (in shares)	9,589,041	0
Equity-based incentive awards
Anti-dilutive potential common shares excluded from the computation of diluted net income/loss per share:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)	2,368,870	4,029,318
Series A warrants
Anti-dilutive potential common shares excluded from the computation of diluted net income/loss per share:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)	0	5,000,000
Series B warrants
Anti-dilutive potential common shares excluded from the computation of diluted net income/loss per share:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)	0	100,000,000