In reply to Bradley Kirby.

It encourages behavior like this where some piece of functionality that could be accomplished locally is instead put in a “service” that a user needs to sign up for separately.

Fake services are not permitted. Says so right there in the guidelines.

"The service itself must provide functionality of substance and be clearly documented in the readme file submitted with the plugin, preferably with a link to the service’s Terms of Use.

Services and functionality not allowed include:

- A service that exists for the sole purpose of validating licenses or keys while all functional aspects of the plugin are included locally is not permitted.
- Creation of a service by moving arbitrary code out of the plugin so that the service may falsely appear to provide supplemented functionality is prohibited.
- Storefronts that are not services. A plugin that acts only as a front-end for products to be purchased from external systems will not be accepted."

We did think ahead on this one, about 8 years back or so.