Is there intellectual Property Of tools ?

Algorithms and code cannot be patented or trademarked in most countries of the world, so nobody can stop anyone from re-creating program features. The only exception would be the US, but technically it's not different from a legal standpoint, it's just that at some point the USPTO got tricked into allowing patents for certain computer stuff by companies like Oracle and then they started using it as a weapon against their market competitors. Still, patents expire after 20 years and cannot be extended indefinitely, so there's that. Similarly, nobody can be stopped from coming up with his own algorithms even if they produce the same result, so even if something is under patent protection, it is perfectly possible to create the same tool. Corel can have a shape builder tool and so can Affinity Designer or others. If there is something to contest, only proper legal procedings can reveal whether or not something shady goes on. And even then very few such cases have merit due to "prior art" or the limitations of statutes explained earlier. The computer world is moving fast, anyway, and your super cool algorithm that's worth millions today could be commonplace open source and not be worth a penny tomorrow.

Mylenium