This is entirely subjective so feel free to disregard. I don't believe it's necessarily a good idea to introduce elements that aren't user accessible.
In this case, it's an actionable (command only) element that's inaccessible directly; the same as a tooltip or popup that hasn't shown itself yet. However, even in the case of a tooltip or popup, they will eventually show themselves to the user. A completely hidden anything IMO introduces a layer of obfuscation to what's actually happening to the DOM and on the page.
I'm not sure if you mean user accessible in terms of User Accessibility or just a typical user having access. I think we're talking about UA, it wouldn't apply in this case, because they would be using a screen reader and using its features to find and copy the URI (rather than by hovering). In the case of a typical user, I think it does what they want, so it doesn't go against desire and ultimately enhances UX.
In this case, it's an actionable (command only) element that's inaccessible directly; the same as a tooltip or popup that hasn't shown itself yet. However, even in the case of a tooltip or popup, they will eventually show themselves to the user. A completely hidden anything IMO introduces a layer of obfuscation to what's actually happening to the DOM and on the page.
It's a bit "hackish".