SEGMENT REPORTING - Segment Income and Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 125,102	$ 59,223
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	1,025	1,212
Contingent legal fees	10,998	2,444
Litigation and licensing expenses	10,771	3,970
Amortization of patents	11,370	10,403
Cost of sales	18,009	19,359
Cost of production	656
Total cost of revenues	52,829	37,388
Segment gross (loss) profit	72,273	21,835
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	735	626
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	6,908	8,621
Amortization of intangible assets	13,100	12,100
General and administrative expenses	43,694	52,680
Operating income (loss)	20,936	(40,092)
Total other income (expense)	46,490	(87,058)
Income (loss) before income taxes	67,426	(127,150)
Parent Company
Other operating expenses:
General and administrative expenses	27,306	37,266
Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	735	626
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	6,908	8,621
Amortization of intangible assets	1,732	1,732
General and administrative expenses	14,656	13,682
Total other operating expenses	24,031	24,661
Operating income (loss)	48,242	(2,826)
Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	89,156	19,508
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	1,025	1,212
Contingent legal fees	10,998	2,444
Litigation and licensing expenses	10,771	3,970
Amortization of patents	11,370	10,403
Cost of sales	0	0
Cost of production	0
Total cost of revenues	34,164	18,029
Segment gross (loss) profit	54,992	1,479
Intellectual property operations | Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	0	0
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
General and administrative expenses	7,402	5,428
Total other operating expenses	7,402	5,428
Operating income (loss)	47,590	(3,949)
Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	35,098	39,715
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	0	0
Contingent legal fees	0	0
Litigation and licensing expenses	0	0
Amortization of patents	0	0
Cost of sales	18,009	19,359
Cost of production	0
Total cost of revenues	18,009	19,359
Segment gross (loss) profit	17,089	20,356
Industrial operations | Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	735	626
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	6,908	8,621
Amortization of intangible assets	1,732	1,732
General and administrative expenses	6,990	8,254
Total other operating expenses	16,365	19,233
Operating income (loss)	724	1,123
Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	848
Cost of revenues:
Inventor royalties	0
Contingent legal fees	0
Litigation and licensing expenses	0
Amortization of patents	0
Cost of sales	0
Cost of production	656
Total cost of revenues	656
Segment gross (loss) profit	192
Energy operations | Operating Segments
Other operating expenses:
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	0
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0
General and administrative expenses	264
Total other operating expenses	264
Operating income (loss)	(72)
License fees
Revenues:
Revenues	89,156	19,508
License fees | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	89,156	19,508
License fees | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
License fees | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Printers and parts
Revenues:
Revenues	12,513	16,118
Printers and parts | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
Printers and parts | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	12,513	16,118
Printers and parts | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Consumable products
Revenues:
Revenues	19,091	19,314
Consumable products | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
Consumable products | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	19,091	19,314
Consumable products | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Services
Revenues:
Revenues	3,494	4,283
Services | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	0
Services | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	3,494	$ 4,283
Services | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Oil sales
Revenues:
Revenues	256
Oil sales | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Oil sales | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Oil sales | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	256
Natural gas sales
Revenues:
Revenues	372
Natural gas sales | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas sales | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas sales | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	372
Natural gas liquids sales
Revenues:
Revenues	220
Natural gas liquids sales | Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas liquids sales | Industrial operations
Revenues:
Revenues	0
Natural gas liquids sales | Energy operations
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 220