I am not sure about how correct you are discussing, but the fact is most (or all) of crypto projects are open-sourced ones.
However, it doesn't mean that we all don't know where are original sources of breaking ideas, right?
We all know that bitcoin is the king, the start (almost like this) of crypto world.
Addtitionally, CatoCoin stated that the coin based on codes of others, Bitcoin, DASH, PIVX, and adjusted with their own breaking ideas, codes to make Catocoin source codes and lauched the project weeks ago.
Patent or without patent, it doesn't make sense (at least in my stance), but the CatoCoin team have done great works till now, honestly.