I'm POSITIVE "WoW Emulation" is taboo, and that things are checked against some sort of "Too WoW-esque" litmus over there. They have to be aware of the criticism, and I'm sure they tread lightly whenever they get close to the same territory, to make sure there are some meaningful differences.
As far as the "item that grants a radius effect," though, they've already done it. Standards in the Adventurer's Vault. A class doesn't revolve around them, but they're there, for anyone to use, and they work pretty much exactly like a WoW Shaman's totems.
While I'm sure they have a litmus, I'm ALSO sure that they're milking WoW for the good ideas that apply well in D&D (pet resurrection, aura-based abilities, etc.). It'd be a bit silly not to.